Khalsa Primary School, Slough Review 2026: High expectations, clear values, and standout KS2 outcomes

A faith-designated Sikh primary with nursery provision, this is a school where values are not decorative. They are taught, practised, and used as a shared language across classrooms, assemblies, and leadership roles. External evaluation describes pupils as feeling part of a close, inclusive community and highlights a curriculum designed for long-term retention, not short-term performance.

On results, the numbers are striking. In 2024, 88.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. Scaled scores were also strong, reading 108, maths 109, and grammar, punctuation and spelling 110.

Demand is high. For the 2024 primary entry route, there were 147 applications for 60 offers, which is 2.45 applications per place, and first-preference demand exceeded offers. If you are shortlisting, treat admissions as the main variable, not school quality.

A defining feature here is the way faith and inclusion sit together. The Sikh designation shapes ethos, cultural reference points, and community life, but the school positions itself as open to families of all faiths and backgrounds. That blend matters in a town as mixed as Slough, because it gives many families a sense of belonging without narrowing the pupil experience.

The values framework is unusually concrete. The school uses a Khalsa values set, kindness, honesty, achievement, love, service, and aspiration, and pupils are expected to internalise them rather than simply recite them. External evaluation in 2023 notes that pupils know these values by heart and work hard to live up to them, including reflecting on how they can contribute positively.

Leadership has also been a recent point of change. The current headteacher, Mrs Pavin Dhaliwal, took up post in January 2023, which means much of what families see now has been shaped under relatively new leadership.

Parents often want a simple answer, are results genuinely strong, or is the reputation mostly about ethos. Here, the data supports the school’s standing.

In 2024, 88.67% met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. England’s average was 62%. At the higher standard, 37.67% reached the higher threshold in reading, writing and maths, compared with an England average of 8%. That gap is large enough to matter for families thinking beyond “meeting expected” and into stretch, pace, and depth.

The underlying scaled scores reinforce the picture. Reading at 108 and maths at 109 both sit above typical national benchmarks, and grammar, punctuation and spelling at 110 suggests pupils are learning accuracy as well as ideas. Science outcomes were reported at 100% reaching the expected standard.

In the FindMySchool primary rankings, the school is ranked 918th in England and 5th locally in Slough for primary outcomes, placing it well above the England average (top 10%). Parents comparing options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tools to see how this profile sits alongside other nearby primaries on the same measures.

The school’s strongest academic story is not just “high scores”, it is how learning is structured. External evaluation in 2023 highlights a curriculum built around sequenced knowledge and frequent revisiting, so pupils retain what they have been taught over time. That approach tends to suit pupils who benefit from clear routines and explicit teaching, and it can be particularly helpful in a community where many pupils are developing English.

Reading is treated as a central driver of the wider curriculum. Formal evaluation points to early immersion in language through fables and traditional tales and notes that staff connect stories with familiar cultural reference points for pupils still building English fluency. It also mentions family reading mornings, which strengthens the home-school bridge and gives parents practical models for supporting reading.

In early years, the approach is deliberately interest-led without being unstructured. The 2023 evaluation describes nursery and reception staff weaving children’s interests into planned learning, including contextualising early mathematics in stories and building rhythm through action songs. The implication for families is that children are encouraged to enjoy learning early, but staff still keep tight control of the knowledge and routines that underpin later success.

As a primary with nursery, the key transition is into secondary, and parents’ questions tend to be practical rather than data-driven. The school does not publish a single fixed pathway, and in Slough, family choices vary widely across grammar, faith, and comprehensive options.

What can be said with confidence is that the academic profile and explicit stretch culture can align well with selective ambitions for families considering Slough’s grammar schools. Equally, the emphasis on values, service, and leadership roles can suit families prioritising character development as much as academic outcomes.

A sensible next step is to ask, early, about transition support in Year 6, including how the school handles references, secondary-school liaison, and preparation for different application routes. For families weighing grammars, it is also worth clarifying what the school does in-class versus what families typically do independently, because tutoring culture varies by household and by cohort.

Start with the headline, it is oversubscribed. In the most recent published demand data for the primary entry route, 147 applications were made for 60 offers, with 2.45 applications per place. That level of competition tends to mean that small differences in criteria, paperwork, and timing matter.

Admissions are shaped by the school’s faith designation and by coordinated local authority processes. The school’s admissions policy for 2026 to 2027 states that up to 80% of places are allocated on the basis of Sikh faith, with the remaining places allocated to children of other or no faith, with flexibility if one group does not fill its allocation. For parents, the practical implication is that you should read the criteria carefully and ensure any required supplementary information is submitted correctly.

For Reception 2026 entry, the school sets out a clear timeline. Families apply via the local authority’s online process, and the school also requires its own application form. The school states that its application forms are available from 1 December 2025 and should be returned by 15 January 2026, with Sikh-faith applicants also completing the supplementary information form by the same date. Offers are released by the local authority on 16 April 2026.

For families who missed the on-time deadline, the local authority notes that late applications remain possible for September 2026 intake, but these are processed after on-time allocations.

Nursery entry

Nursery is an important part of the school’s offer, but it does not function as a guaranteed pipeline into Reception. The school states that it offers 26 places per morning session and 26 per afternoon session, and that children start Nursery in the September after their third birthday. It also explicitly states that nursery admission does not guarantee a Reception place.

For families relying on internal progression, that point is critical. Treat Nursery and Reception as separate admissions decisions, and plan your Reception application as if your child were external.

The pastoral model is closely linked to the values framework. Pupils are given structured leadership and service roles, and external evaluation highlights roles such as school parliamentarians, peer mentors, and fundraisers, with recognition built into assemblies. This matters because it turns behaviour and belonging into something pupils do, not something staff enforce from the top down.

Safeguarding is described as effective, with a culture of vigilance and staff training that focuses on spotting concerns early and escalating quickly. For parents, the practical takeaway is that the school frames safeguarding as a whole-staff responsibility, and pupils are taught basic routines that support safe practice, including online safety.

On SEND, the school publishes detail about support pathways, including early identification, small group interventions, and access to specialist services, including speech and language support for children in nursery. Families considering the school for a child with emerging needs should ask how support is organised in-class, what the escalation route looks like, and how communication with parents is structured across a term.

The most persuasive extracurricular story here is that enrichment is treated as part of the wider education plan, not an optional add-on. External evaluation highlights a set of clubs that are specific and skill-based, including Spanish, cookery, chess, and ninja warriors.

Cookery is not just a club in name, it is supported by a dedicated food technology kitchen, and pupils grow vegetables which are then used in cooking. The implication is that practical skills and healthy living are taught through doing, which often appeals to families who want learning to feel relevant, especially for pupils who thrive when lessons connect to real-life outcomes.

Leadership and voice are another strand. The School Parliament structure is visible, and pupils take on formal roles across the year, which builds confidence in speaking, organising, and representing others. For many children, particularly those who are academically able but quieter, this kind of structured responsibility can be a helpful counterweight to purely academic pressure.

The school publishes clear daily timings. Classroom doors open at 8:20am and close at 8:35am, with registration from 8:35am. Collection times vary by phase: Reception to Year 2 finish at 3:00pm; Years 3 to 6 finish at 3:15pm; nursery collection is at 3:15pm, and the main gate opens at 2:55pm.

Wraparound care is available. Breakfast Club runs 7:15am to 8:20am, term time, at £4.00 per session. After school, Busy Bees Club runs 3:30pm to 5:30pm, term time, priced at £4.00 per hour for Reception to Year 6. These are practical details that can materially change commute planning for working families.

As a state school, there are no tuition fees. Families should still budget for the usual extras, including uniform, trips, and clubs. The school also publishes a meal service cost of £2.15 per day or £10.75 per week.

For transport, the setting is in Wexham, within Slough, and the school advises families to consider travel arrangements as part of admissions planning. If you are driving, the school’s messaging around gate timing suggests congestion management is taken seriously, so punctuality and parking discipline matter.

• Admissions complexity. The combination of local authority coordination, school forms, and faith-related supplementary documentation means families need to be organised. Missing paperwork can be costly.

• Nursery is not a guaranteed route. Nursery places do not secure Reception entry. If Reception is your goal, plan for it as a separate application and decision.

• High expectations can feel intense for some pupils. The academic stretch is a strength, but children who need a slower pace may do better with a school whose profile is less geared to rapid progression and extension.

• Faith designation is real, not cosmetic. The Sikh ethos shapes school life. Families should ensure they are comfortable with that, even if they are not Sikh, and check how it shows up day-to-day.

A high-performing Sikh faith primary with a clear values spine, structured teaching, and unusually strong KS2 outcomes. It suits families who want academic stretch alongside a strong emphasis on character, service, and community, including families who value a faith-grounded ethos within a mixed intake. The main hurdle is admission; once in, the day-to-day offer is coherent, well-organised, and ambitious.