The Department for Education strongly encourages schools to have a school uniform. This page sets out the school’s policy and approach on uniform and confirms the school’s commitment to providing value for money to parents and ensuring that no pupils is discriminated against due to their gender, disability, religion or belief, economic circumstances or social and cultural background.

The school uniform helps ensure that pupils of all races and backgrounds feel welcome. It protects pupils from social pressures to dress in a particular way; and nurtures cohesion, promoting good relations between different groups of pupils.

This policy follows the DfE statutory guidance, ‘Cost of school uniforms’, published November 2021 and takes account of the non-statutory guidance, ‘School uniforms’, published June 2023.

Our Local Governing Committee expect pupils to wear school uniform for the following reasons:

• It fosters a sense of identity and belonging to a school community.
• It promotes a sense of pride in the school, in line with our ethos and values.
• It supports positive behaviour and discipline.
• It is practical, comfortable and appropriate for activities in school.
• It is affordable.
• It helps pupils to feel equal and encourages cohesion.
• It has been designed with health and safety in mind.

Uniform table key

• O / R – optional or required item
• B / G – branded item required or generic (e.g. supermarket) alternative will be accepted
• Season specific – N = can be worn in any season

Uniform

Item	O/R	B/G	Season specific
Burgundy sweatshirt or cardigan (school logo optional)	R	either	N
Sky Blue polo shirt (school logo optional)	R	either	N
Black or Grey trousers or skirt	R	G	N
Light Blue checked dress	O	G	summer term
Plain black flat leather or leather look school shoes	R	G	N

PE Uniform

Item	O/R	B/G	Season specific
Navy shorts, black joggers or leggings	R	G	N
White PE t-shirt	R	G	N
Burgundy PE hoodie	R	R	N
Trainers or plimsolls	R	G	N

Items with the school logo can be purchased from Sports Workwear – Consett on the link below.

Pre-loved uniform

To reduce costs to parents, the school keeps a stock of donated second hand uniform and encourages parents to pass on uniform that their child has grown out of. Pre-loved uniform is available on request (please speak to a member of the office staff).

Jewellery

For health and safety reasons, children must not wear jewellery in school (this includes earrings). If ears have been recently pierced, we will allow invisible (clear) safety piercing retainers. Inexpensive analogue wrist watches can be worn, but SMART watches or Fitbits are not allowed. Watches will be removed for PE lessons.

If you wish to have your child’s ears pierced, we request that you do so at the start of the summer holidays to ensure that by the start of the autumn term there is no need for earrings to be worn.

Footwear

It is strongly recommended that all pupils wear plain black flat school shoes for school. We do not encourage children to wear trainers everyday as they do not always provide adequate protection or support. Trainers or plimsolls must be worn for PE.

In choosing a school that promotes school uniform, the governors expect that parents will support the school when they enforce the policy. We thank you for your cooperation with this.