School Uniform
The wearing of full school uniform is expected as an integral part of the school ethos which promotes positive attitudes, high standards and a sense of personal pride. In our view, for a school uniform to be successful it must be:-
1. UNIFORM and not open to various interpretations
2. DISTINCTIVE and SMART
3. EASILY and READILY AVAILABLE
4. REASONABLY PRICED
Students are expected to wear the correct school uniform as listed below.
| Uniform | |
| Blazer | Black blazer. School badge attached to the blazer (badge is embroidered with year colour and school logo). Badges may be purchased separately and attached to the blazer or bought already attached to the blazer from Townrow. |
| Pullover | Long sleeved ‘V’ neck black pullover, school logo preferred. Pullover with logo can only be acquired from Townrow. |
| Skirt | Plain black straight or A line skirt, school logo on the waistband preferred. Knee length without splits. Skirts should not be tight fitting, denim, cord or lycra material. Skirts with logo can only be acquired from Townrow. |
| Trousers | Plain black tailored trousers, school logo on the waistband preferred. The trousers must have a hem and not be frayed or have a wide or narrow bottom. Trousers with a logo can only be acquired from Townrow. The trousers should not be denim, cord, lycra material or hipster style. |
| Blouse/Shirt | Girls - White shirt-type blouse with plain, undecorated collar. Not polo or lycra style. Boys - Plain white shirt - not polo shirt. |
| Shoes | Plain black shoes (not open toe design, trainers, pump or canvas shoes, no stilettos, mules or sling backs, a proper heel not greater than 4cm - no coloured laces or stitching). Trainers are only allowed if accompanied by a doctor’s note. |
| Socks/Tights | Girls - Plain white or dark socks or tights in black or natural/skin tone. Boys - Plain white or dark socks. |
| Tie | Green stripe. Can only be acquired from Townrow. The top button must be fastened and the tie knot placed at the collar of the shirt. |
| Belts | Only plain black belts are acceptable. |
| Protective Clothing |
Craft apron and an old shirt for Art. |
| Outdoor Coats |
Most forms of sensible outdoor coats (preferably dark in colour and waterproof) are acceptable. Casual leisure wear is not regarded as suitable for school. Sweatshirts or hoodies of any description do not qualify as coats and are not acceptable. |
| Jewellery | One wrist watch is acceptable. Students with pierced ears will be allowed to wear two plain gold/silver small studs or small sleepers, one in the lobe of each ear. Diamanté, crystals, gemstones or other decorative styles are not acceptable. Plain gold or silver sleepers must be small enough to not allow a 5p piece to pass through them (a maximum of one per ear). The stud/sleeper is to be placed in the earlobe. Nose studs, other jewellery, piercings and badges are not allowed. Items that are not acceptable will be confiscated until the end of the half term when they can be collected from Student Services. |
| Hair | Students having long hair must fasten it back in laboratories and practical rooms and for PE. Extreme hairstyles will not be tolerated. (No hair shorter than number 2, no shapes cut into hair, no unnatural colours or unnatural combinations). Hair may be worn in small plaits where little scalp is visible provided the whole head of hair is plaited. Plaited hair must be fastened at the back. The school reserves the right to make the final decision on what constitutes an extreme hairstyle. |
| Make-up | Students are not allowed to wear make-up in Years 7, 8 and 9. Discreet make-up is permitted in Years 10 and 11. Nail varnish or false nails are not allowed. |
Items with a logo are preferred but alternatives are acceptable if they are of a similar style. We would point out to all parents/carers that the one item of dress which has caused the biggest number of headaches is shoes. Please would parents/carers insist on proper black leather or leather look shoes and not trainers.
The Health Council would fully support this as well! There is a uniform grant scheme. Evidence of receipt of a qualifying benefit and evidence of the exceptional circumstances will be required with a completed application form (details of appropriate evidence are listed on the application form). Please contact the Education Transport and Awards team on 0845 603 2200 or email educationawards@essex.gov.uk.
The uniform is available from: Townrow Braintree
63 High Street, Braintree, CM7 1JX
Telephone: 01376 322587 www.townrowstores.com
School Uniform - PE
Please note that our PE kit is changing for September 2013.
Further details will be published as soon as possible.
| PE | (Current kit up to July 2013. New kit specification to follow) |
| Rugby Shirt | Rugby shirt black/sky. Can only be acquired from Townrow. |
| PE Polo Shirt | White PE polo shirt with school logo (available from Townrow) or plain white PE polo shirt without logo. |
| Shorts | Girls - Shadow shorts (black) Boys - Shadow shorts (black), shadow shorts (white) |
| Socks | Hockey socks (black) Football socks (black) Ankle socks (white) |
| Shin Pads | |
| Tracksuit Trousers |
Black tracksuit trousers - optional |
| Rain jacket | Dark rain jacket - optional |
| Gum shield | We recommend a gum shield fitted by a dentist |
If a student is injured and is unable to take part in the PE lesson the teacher will need to see a note in the student planner from the parent/carer stating what the injury is and how long they are likely to be out. The student will be expected to bring their PE kit to the lesson and change for the lesson – the ONLY exception to this is broken limbs. Students will be encouraged to ‘try’ to take part in the lesson. If your child suffers from asthma, please remind them that they must have their inhaler with them for all PE lessons – staff do not carry inhalers with them!
Throughout the year the weather plays a large part in the PE lessons that we teach. Students have one indoor and one outdoor lesson per week. Students will go outside for their outdoor lessons – wind, rain or shine - and should dress accordingly. We would encourage students to wear warm clothing under their PE kit. Long sleeve t-shirts are acceptable, providing the top layer is the Notley PE kit. If a student wears a ‘base layer’ with their short sleeve t-shirt it must be the same colour as their polo-shirt. Students are not allowed to wear tights or leggings for PE lessons, but can wear plain black tracksuit trousers. When the weather is particularly cold and wet, students are encouraged to bring a towel and a change of underwear as it is likely the lesson will be outside. Students should always prepare for their lesson to be outside.
Students must have appropriate trainers, meaning no ‘converse’ or ‘canvas’ trainers are worn by any students for any PE lessons. When students are outside on the field, they are encouraged to wear football boots or boots with studs. Jewellery is not permitted during any PE lesson for health and safety reasons, and we take this guidance from all national governing bodies. Students will be asked to remove any earrings and jewellery that they may be wearing. For this reason we advise that any ear piercings take place at the start of the school holidays so as earrings can be removed during PE lessons.
We do lock the changing rooms during PE lessons – however we cannot guarantee the safety and security of valuables. For this reason we would advise students not to bring anything of value into school on the days that they have PE.
If your child is selected to represent the school at a tournament or a fixture, a text message or email with the details will be sent home prior to the event. We ask that students who are unable to play speak to the relevant teacher at least 24 hours before the game explaining why.
P.U.R.E. (Punctuality, Uniform and Required Equipment) Cards
Each term, students are given a P.U.R.E. card. This is used to record lateness to lessons, forgotten equipment* and any uniform infringements, such as wearing incorrect uniform, shirt untucked, tie worn incorrectly, wearing jewellery or wearing trainers without permission. 6 infringements in any one term will result in a uniform detention. If your child were to reach 18 signatures, we would organise a school-based meeting to discuss our concerns and ask you to work with us to support your child in being appropriately prepared for school and demonstrate appropriate attitudes to learning. Please encourage your child to take pride in their appearance with a positive attitude to learning – they should aim to have no signatures on their card at the end of each term.
* Required equipment = pen, pencil, ruler, rubber, sharpener and appropriate books, PE kit or ingredients as per lesson requirements.
Uniform Exchange
We encourage parents/carers to donate good quality secondhand uniform to the school. You can buy items for a nominal fee. Any enquiries, please contact Student Services on 01376 556300.
