UNIFORM
At Woodchurch High School we have, for a number of years, been concerned to poverty proof our practices, including our school uniform. Hence our decision not to hold non-uniform days and our decision to introduce a school bag and school coat. This releases pressure on families to provide costly branded garments, and ensures that pupils are not bullied or discriminated against because of clothing.
The DfE has published new statutory guidance for schools which seeks to make school uniform more affordable. At Woodchurch High School we have measured our uniform policy against this guidance, and consider that we have taken steps to secure that our uniform is affordable and, as stated, removes pressure from parents and carers to purchase costly garments.
Many items of our uniform can be purchased in local supermarkets. Design & Stitch stock our school coats and they regularly visit the school during parents’ evenings.
Branded items are kept to a minimum and sewn on badges can be purchased and added to unbranded items (blazer).
We are also explicit with regard to which items of uniform are compulsory and which are optional.
The Governing Body reviews the Uniform Policy on a regular basis.
Uniform Purchase
Second Hand Uniform
Full school uniform is compulsory for all pupils
Pupils not in full uniform are liable to be refused admission as failure to do so is seen as a blatant disregard of school rules. In any emergency, parents may request permission in writing for pupils to wear other than full school uniform and the Headteacher is authorised to grant permission only for a very short period. Woodchurch High School is fully complaint with the Department for Education guidelines on school uniform and we provide families with a degree of choice in terms of price, quality and convenience. A wide range of shops and supermarkets can be used to buy many of the uniform items.Option A
Grey skirt no more than 2 inches above the knee; it must not be of a stretchy jersey/‘lycra’ type material. (Mid grey, charcoal or black tailored trousers may be worn)
White or blue long sleeve school blouse. Optional short sleeve white or blue school blouse for summer
School Tie * (to be worn at all times)
Grey V neck pullover (optional)
Tights, (grey or black not patterned – plain) or socks. Knee length socks are not permitted, ankle socks only (white, grey or black)
Black shoes only – no coloured laces, stripes, stitching etc – no trainers or training shoes
Black blazer with *badge – can be purchased separately at school
Woodchurch High School coat – (this is optional but no other coat can be worn into school)
Woodchurch High School bag – (compulsory)
Option A P.E. Kit
Woodchurch High School polo shirt (red)
Trainers (non-marking soles)
Navy tracksuit bottoms with Woodchurch motif (optional)
White ankle sports socks (not football socks)
Navy hoodie with Woodchurch motif (optional)
Gum shield (hockey) and shin pads (hockey and football) (optional)
It is advisable for names to be printed on shirts (the suppliers will provide this service)
Option B
White or blue long sleeve school shirt
Optional short sleeve white or blue school shirt for summer
School Tie * (to be worn at all times)
Grey V neck pullover (optional)
Socks: white, grey or black
Black shoes only – no coloured laces, stripes, stitching etc – no trainers or training shoes
Black blazer with *badge – can be purchased separately at school
Woodchurch High School coat – (this is optional but no other coat can be worn into school)
Woodchurch High School bag – (compulsory)
Option B P.E. Kit
Woodchurch High School polo shirt (white)
Trainers (non-marking soles)
Navy Woodchurch High School rugby shirt
White ankle sports socks (not football socks)
Navy football socks with a white turn-over
Football boots (blades or mouldies are preferable as lessons take place on grass and the 3G football pitch). Pupils cannot use astroturf trainers for football or rugby lessons on the grass due to health and safety
Gum shield (rugby & hockey) and shin pads (football & hockey) (optional)
Navy hoodies with Woodchurch motif (optional)
It is advisable for names to be printed on shirts (the suppliers will provide this service)
Ties and school badges
Ties and school badges can be purchased from school: ties £4.00 and iron on badges £2.50
School takes seriously its commitment to ensure that the school uniform can be purchased at an affordable cost. Recent Government figures highlight how the average cost of a school uniform is in the region of £300. If the uniform for Woodchurch High School is sourced almost exclusively from a major supermarket retailer, or indeed from a specialist uniform shop, the cost is under £150.
Guidance on School Uniform
The majority of our pupils wear their uniform correctly and look extremely smart and ready for learning and I would thank you for your support in this matter.
Our general uniform requirements
Footwear: Shoes which are all black are allowed and parent/carers are asked to ensure that shoes do not have logos/ticks/writing etc on them in different colours. Please refer to our website for further guidance. If they do parents/carers will be asked to replace them with all black shoes. Boots (Uggs, Dr. Martins etc) are not allowed to be worn in school (unless exceptions are made by the Headteacher during heavy snowfall). Training shoes are not permitted
The school skirt is grey, it must not be of a stretchy jersey/‘lycra’ type material and should be worn ‘on the knee.
If your daughter chooses to wear trousers they should be loose fitting with a straight leg and of appropriate material
A grey v neck jumper or cardigan can be worn underneath but not instead of the blazer. Black jumpers or cardigans are not allowed. Sleeveless jumpers are not allowed
PE Kit – this should be as described in the school prospectus – check with PE Department if any issues
Badges – pupils may not wear any badges other than those issued by the school. Special dispensation may be given for charitable badges or other institutional badges. These are considered on a case by case basis. Other badges, such as birthday badges are not permitted
School bags – Pupils are expected to use a Woodchurch High School Bag. There are three designs for pupils to choose from. The bags all have our school logo on and pupils can have their names embroidered on them for a fee. Names on pupil bags are not compulsory, but are recommended. This means that if a pupil mislays their bag, it is more easily identifiable. Please note: pupils will not be permitted any other school bags other than the Woodchurch design
School Coat: – Woodchurch High School has a school coat. It is not compulsory to buy a coat, but no other coat is to be worn into school
Sanctions for not wearing correct uniform
Pupils who are not in full uniform will be seen by their Form Tutor or Pupil Progress Leader and asked to explain why he/she is not wearing full uniform. A continued infringement will likely result in contact with parent/carer and the student being sent home to dress correctly. If we are not able to contact you, your child will work in our Rehab Room until we do manage to make contact and discuss whether there is any difficulty in providing uniform. If a student persists in not wearing the school uniform and we have no information from you to suggest there is a difficulty in providing uniform or if there is a persistent refusal to comply we will treat this as a breach of the school’s discipline policy and your child will be excluded from school or placed in the Rehabilitation Unit. May I also take this opportunity to remind you that body/facial piercings are not allowed in school. This includes tongue piercing. Pupils are allowed to wear one pair of earrings only (one in each ear) – small studs or small hoops. Ear expanders, ‘plugs’ ‘tunnels’ and ‘tusks’ are strictly forbidden. Also no bracelets or rings are allowed for health and safety reasons. Nose piercings are not permitted Hair colour should be natural, i.e. not bright pink, blue, purple etc and we do not allow patterns or lines to be cut into hair. Mohican style hairstyles with hair shaved at sides but long on top are also not acceptable nor are any hair cuts at number 1 or below. ‘Dip-dye’ hair is not permitted. Any inappropriate hairstyles and colours will be expected to be resolved within an agreed time span and may result in your child working in our Rehabilitation Unit. Pupils should look prepared for a day at school, ready to work. Coloured nail varnish is not permitted, nor are coloured extensions, such as shellac nails. Our school uniform requirements are typical of most secondary schools across the country and most items are available at various retail outlets thus giving you choice and different price ranges. With this in mind I ask that home and school continue to give the same message to our young people by insisting that they wear this full uniform with a sense of pride. We believe that smart students demonstrate a good work ethic that contributes to effective learning and self discipline and that this is an important aspect of our school ethos. Thank you for your continuing support. It is advisable for names to be printed on shirts (the suppliers will provide this service)School Coat
As you are aware, we introduced a school coat in September 2019. This is part of our Poverty Proofing agenda. Following our banning certain brands and types of expensive coat in January 2019, only the Woodchurch School coat can be worn into school. The school coat was designed in consultation with the pupils. Both designs are black and have zips and pockets where they are requested. One style of a “puffa style jacket” and one is a “Dover Regatta” style with a fleece layer inside. Neither coat has the Woodchurch logo on, the only identifying feature is a small “W” on the zip. This means that pupils can wear the coat outside school. Coats can be purchased from “Design & Stitch Schoolwear, Tarran Way South, Moreton. Following our working closely with this company, they now stock our entire uniform. The cost of the coats is as follows:Adult sizes @ £25.00 each
Children sizes @ £20.00 each
Regatta Jacket
Adult sizes @ £25.00 each
Children sizes @ £21.00 each
School Bag
We are always looking for ways to make our uniform simpler and cheaper for parents to purchase. Pupils are expected to purchase a Woodchurch School Bag. They are cheaper than bags parents may be under pressure to buy from sports’ shops or other fashion shops.
There are three designs for pupils to choose from.
The bags all have our school logo on and pupils can have their names embroidered on them for free. This means that if a pupil mislays his or her bag, it is more easily identifiable. A plain bag alone is £15, with school badge £17, with badge and initials £18.50 and with badge and full name £19.
Should you require any more information, please contact Mr Smith
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