SCHOOL UNIFORM AND DRESS POLICY - Kents Hill School

SCHOOL UNIFORM
AND

DRESS POLICY

THE KENTS HILL INFANT ACADEMY

JUNE 2013

SCHOOL UNIFORM AND DRESS POLICY

Introduction
It is our school policy that all children wear school uniform when attending school or when
participating in school organised events inside or outside of normal school hours, e.g. trips, musical
festivals etc.

Aim and Objectives
Our policy on school uniform is based on the notion that school uniform:

 promotes a sense of pride in the school;
 engenders a sense of community and belonging towards the school;
 is practical and smart;
 makes children feel equal to their peers in terms of appearance;
 is regarded as suitable wear for school and is considered by parents as good value for money;
 is designed with health and safety in mind and is appropriate to the activity involved.

As a school we are considerate if a pupil does not keep to the uniform policy and endeavour to find
out why this is happening so that we can remedy the problem. If the cause is due to financial
difficulties, the school will allow for this and give the parents/carers time to buy the right items
(second hand uniform in good condition is usually available). Children will not be discriminated
against if parents/carers cannot provide them with the whole school uniform. Help is available in
some cases of financial need (see Section 10 and 11 of the Education Act 1966 and Local
Authority/Payment of School Expenses Regulations 1990.

The Kents Hill Infant Academy will be considerate of the needs of different cultures, race and
religion. Our policy will not discriminate on grounds of gender.

Role of the Governors
It is the governors’ responsibility to ensure that the uniform meets all the regulations concerning
equal opportunities. The governors, along with the headteacher, will consider any complaints or
requests from parents/carers for individual children to have special dispensation, either for religious
or medical reasons, with regard to school uniform. The governing body will consult parents/carers
for their views and concerns before deciding on the introduction of a new uniform or dress code, or
before amending an existing one.
This policy, which has been endorsed by the School Governors, will be reviewed regularly.

Cost of School Uniform
The items marked with a * below are available on order from the school office. All these items,
except the ties, have the school logo on them. The school makes every effort to sell items at
reasonable prices. Alternatively, our uniform policy incorporates items that are readily available “off
the peg” from a number of retail outlets at a range of prices. This enables parents/carers to shop
around for the most suitable option, whilst ensuring their child adheres to our school uniform code.

The Kents Hill Infant Academy uniform consists of:

BOYS GIRLS
Shirts – white (long or short sleeved) Shirts or blouses – white

T-shirts* - white T-shirts* - white

PE shorts* - purple or white PE shorts* - purple or white

Ties* - purple Ties* - purple
Socks –white or grey Socks – white or grey
Trousers – grey Tights – white, purple, grey or black
Trousers – grey
Jumpers* - purple Skirts/Pinafores – grey

Cardigans* - purple Jumpers* - purple

Cardigans* - purple
Summer dresses – purple gingham (short-

sleeved, simple style, but not sleeveless with

narrow straps)

We ask that all items are clearly marked with the child’s name.

Physical Education

Our school uniform includes clothing required for physical education. We have adapted a
comfortable PE uniform which should enhance the children’s participation and enjoyment of sport

and physical activity. Our PE uniform is the same for both genders. All our PE uniform can be

purchased easily from high street shops at competitive prices. Items marked with a * can also be
purchased from the school. Our children’s PE uniform consists of:

 Purple*/white shorts and white T-shirt*

 Gusseted or Velcro plimsolls (no lace-ups or trainers)

 Old, dark coloured tracksuit from home to wear outside in cooler weather (without hood)
 PE bag* – colour optional

 Swimming:
o Boys – conventional short trunks and swimming cap
o Girls – conventional one piece swimming costume and swimming cap

If children attend extra OSHL clubs they may be asked to wear different clothes or safety equipment,
e.g. shin pads for football.

Jewellery Policy
Occasionally pupils wear personal items to school which constitute a health and safety hazard. The
following recommendations are in line with Essex County Council and School Health and Safety
Policy and the Safe Practice in Physical Education document. They reflect our commitment to the
safety of all our school children.

The wearing of jewellery is discouraged with the exception of:
 One pair of small, plain, stud type earrings in the ear lobe (no larger earrings or hoops etc. are
allowed).
 No studs or rings may be worn in any other part of the body.
 The wearing of necklaces, bracelets, rings etc. is not permitted. The only exception is allergy
alert bracelets.
 A small, simple watch may be worn so long as it is not set to “make noises”.
 Neither the school nor its staff are responsible for any loss, theft or damage to any of these
articles. Anything of value brought into school is at the owner’s risk.

During sporting activities such as PE or swimming, children must remove all jewellery, e.g. earrings,
watches etc. and the responsibility of the safekeeping of the jewellery rests with the pupils. The
removal of jewellery, e.g. earrings and replacing is the responsibility of the pupils. School staff are
not permitted to carry out this task. If it is not possible to remove the earrings/jewellery then the
pupils will sit out for those activities where safety may be compromised and be involved in the
lessons in ways which exclude direct physical participation.

Hair and Hair Ornaments
Hair styles for both girls and boys should be simple and easily managed. Extremes of styles or
colours are not permitted. The school requests that the children do not have their hair coloured or
shaved in elaborate styles. In the interest of hygiene and safety, long hair should be worn tied back.
Hair ornaments should be school colours, plain and simple. Fancy combs, slides, bobbles and clips
and fashion braids can be dangerous, distract children from their learning and must not be worn.
Beading in plaited hair is not appropriate as it can cause injury to the wearer and other children.

Body Transfers and Nail Polish
Children are not permitted to wear these in school.

Footwear Policy/Guidelines
The school wants all children to grow into healthy adults. We strongly believe that it is dangerous
for children to wear shoes that have platform soles, high heels and are very strappy. We therefore
strongly discourage the wearing of such. Children should also avoid boots which come up higher
than the ankle. We do not encourage the wearing of trainers to school. This type of footwear is
damaging, in the long term, to growing feet and is really only appropriate for sports, some types of
physical education and leisure wear. Also, they detract from the smart appearance of our school
uniform. Children are asked to wear black, low-heeled shoes which can be Velcro, slips-on, buckles,
buttons or lace ups. In the summer months the children may wear sensible school-style sandals
(including white sandals). High heeled and strappy sandals are not allowed on health and safety
grounds. No beach shoes are permitted and the children should always wear socks to school.

The Role of the Parents/Carers
We ask all parents/carers who send their children to our school to support all facets of our school
uniform policy. It is the responsibility of parents/carers to ensure that their children have the correct
uniform and that it is clean and in good repair. We also request that all appropriate items are named
so that lost items can be easily return to the owner.

Approved by the Governing Body on 10th June 2013