PRESS RELEASE                                                 3rd June 2020

Khalsa Secondary Academy on the road “to an exciting future”

A secondary school in Stoke Poges has been told that it is on a very positive trajectory after an independent review of governance praised the progress that the school is making.

Khalsa Secondary Academy, Hollybush Hill, was criticised earlier this year after concerns were raised that there was a “serious breakdown in the way the school is governed and managed.” After a number of changes at the school, which included the appointment of a new Headteacher and the strengthening of the Board of Trustees, reviewers have now found that governance is in a “strong position to move the trust forward.”

The review, carried out by the Confederation of School Trusts (CST), a national organisation supporting schools in England, also concluded that:

1. The Trust Board has a strong emphasis on delivering high quality education and strong academic outcomes. 

2. The Khalsa Secondary Academy Parent Forum has the potential to be a good link between the parent body, the academy, its Local Advisory Board, the Trust Board and Executive Team as representatives from each will be in attendance. 

3. The recently conducted skills audits for Trustees indicates that the Trust Board has a good balance of skills and experience across a range of key areas. 

4. The Trust has made significant progress, understands its responsibilities to ensure robust governance, is tackling the issues with vigour and determination and is in a strong position to move the trust forward.

Shaminder Kaur Rayatt, the new Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Khalsa Academies Trust and a senior educationalist, said: “At no point has the trust shied away from the findings of the Ofsted report in January".

“At every level individuals have worked together tirelessly to address the problems that were rightly raised, and, in partnership with the new leaders and governors who have further strengthened the school at every level, we are now on a path to a very exciting future.”

In addition to Mrs Rayatt, the new Trustees include Susan Jackson (Vice Chair of Standards) who is a senior educationalist and safeguarding expert, Manmeet Singh (Vice Chair of Finance, Audit & Risk) who is an accomplished Risk & Compliance Director and Dr Jude Mitchell-Hedges who is the Director of Forensic Mental Health and a social worker. Mr Chris Drew, a very experienced  Headteacher, also joined the school in February.

“Together we are a formidable team, and we are pleased with the findings of this report which demonstrate to our community that governance is now robust, focused and accountable,” added Mrs Ryatt.

Mr Drew said: “What is great about this school and our community is the support that is provided. When I first walked through the doors of the Khalsa Secondary Academy there were some significant challenges to address, but we are tackling each and every one of those with purpose and determination. Safeguarding at the school has already been confirmed as being effective and compliant from the results of an independent external audit in March 2020”.

“A great deal has been achieved, and I am excited by what these developments will mean for every member of our community.”

The school is part of the Khalsa Academies Trust, whose vision is to provide inclusive, outstanding Sikh schools that enrich students with Sikh and British values, enabling them to excel academically and spiritually and serve humanity. 

For further information please contact:

Ben Peck on 07713 517 393 

The summary report can be downloaded from this link:

CST-Review-Khalsa-Academies-Trust-Executive-Summary-Report-May-2020.pdf