Punjabi

Why do we teach Punjabi at Sikh Heritage Girls School?

How does language shape identity? What if learning to read, write, and speak Punjabi helped your child deepen their roots and spread their wings?

At Sikh Heritage Girls School, teaching Punjabi is more than a subject—it's a commitment to heritage, culture, and connection. We want every pupil to understand the richness of the Punjabi language, from its poetic traditions to its everyday expressions. Through Punjabi, our pupils connect with family, faith, history, and the wider Panjabi-speaking world.

We believe language is power. When a child learns Punjabi, they’re not just learning to communicate—they're learning to belong, to express, to explore. This aligns deeply with our school values of confidence, compassion and community, and with our school motto: Born to love, live to do.

Intent: What are we aiming for?

Our Punjabi curriculum helps pupils to:

  • Read, write and speak Punjabi with increasing fluency, accuracy and confidence.

  • Understand the cultural and historical significance of the Punjabi language.

  • Develop a love for Punjabi literature, music and oral storytelling traditions.

  • Strengthen links between home and school through shared language and identity.

  • Lay strong foundations for future study and personal or professional use of the language.

We want pupils to leave our school proud of their Punjabi heritage and empowered to carry it forward into the wider world.

Implementation: How do we bring this to life?

We teach Punjabi weekly to all pupils from Year 1 onwards, following the curriculum developed by Goldsmiths, University of London. This high-quality scheme supports progressive, structured learning across the primary years. It blends phonics, grammar, conversation, reading and writing with cultural enrichment and joy.

Lessons include:

  • Songs, rhymes and stories to develop fluency and recall.

  • Structured reading and writing practice, including letter formation and sentence construction.

  • Speaking and listening tasks to build confidence in oral communication.

  • Exploration of Punjabi culture through food, festivals and the arts.

We ensure equity by using visual supports, differentiated tasks, and opportunities for repetition and practice. Pupils with SEND or less exposure to Punjabi receive targeted support, while bilingual and fluent pupils are challenged to explore more complex texts and meanings. Every child is included in the journey—whether they are reconnecting with a home language or encountering it for the first time.

Our teaching is responsive and respectful. We celebrate linguistic diversity and create a safe space for pupils to take risks, explore identity, and embrace the beauty of a language that is often passed through generations.

Impact: What does success look like?

By the time pupils leave us, they:

  • Speak Punjabi with clarity and purpose.

  • Can read and write in Gurmukhi script.

  • Understand the role of Punjabi in history, religion, folk music and family life.

  • Feel proud of their heritage and motivated to continue their Punjabi learning in senior schools or community settings.

  • Recognise Punjabi as a doorway to future opportunities—in translation, media, education, the arts, social care, community leadership, and more.

At Sikh Heritage Girls School, Punjabi is not just taught—it is honoured, celebrated, and lived.

Reference

Cummins, J. (2001). Bilingual Children’s Mother Tongue: Why Is It Important for Education? Sprogforum, 7(19), 15–20.