Seagrave Village Primary School
Uniform and Appearance Policy
1. Aims
Our uniform and appearance expectations aim to:
- Promote a strong sense of belonging, identity and equality for all pupils.
- Support high standards of behaviour and attitudes to learning.
- Keep costs reasonable by limiting branded items and allowing parents to choose where to buy items, in line with Department for Education (DfE) statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms.
- Ensure pupils are dressed safely and appropriately for learning and play, including PE and Forest School.
This policy is aligned with current DfE guidance on school uniform and appearance.
2. Principles
Branded uniform is optional; correctly coloured unbranded items from supermarkets or other retailers are fully acceptable.
Reasonable adjustments will be made where needed, for example for disability, sensory needs or faith requirements, in line with equality legislation and DfE guidance on preventing discrimination (including hair discrimination).
We will review this policy periodically, taking account of parent and pupil voice, cost‑of‑living pressures and national guidance.
3. Daily uniform expectations
Children are expected to wear the following:
- Red jumper, cardigan or fleece.
- Grey trousers, shorts, skort, pinafore dress or skirt.
- Red or white polo shirt.
- Red gingham dress or skirt (typically in warmer months).
- Footwear should be flat, all black (no white soles) comfortable and suitable for active play (no high heels, heelys, flip‑flops or crocs).
- Coats should be practical and weather‑appropriate; branded and non‑branded coats are both acceptable, in line with DfE guidance.
4. PE kit
Indoor PE:
- Black shorts – football style or cycling shorts. Cycling shorts must cover the tops of thighs and should not be ‘hot pants’ style short.
- Red or white T‑shirt
- Plimsolls (black) or trainers (any colour)
- Spare socks if your child wears tights.
Outdoor PE:
- Black jogging bottoms or leggings
- Red T‑shirt or white T‑shirt
- Black jumper or zip‑through hoodie.
- Trainers suitable for outdoor activity.
Class teachers will confirm PE days, KS2 will wear their kit to school on these days. KS1 and EYFS children must have their full PE kit in school.
PE and safety
- Jewellery must not be worn for PE (see section 7); children who cannot remove earrings will need them safely covered in line with health and safety guidance.
- Long hair must be tied back for PE and practical activities, to minimise risk of injury.
5. Forest School kit
When your child’s Forest School block is due, we will inform you in advance.
For these sessions children should wear:
- Wellington boots.
- Jogging bottoms.
- Long‑sleeved T‑shirt and a warm jumper.
- Gloves and hat in cold weather.
- Waterproof over‑trousers and coat, or an all‑in‑one waterproof suit.
- A separate bag (plastic/bin bag is fine!) for muddy items to go into.
We strongly encourage parents not to buy new clothing for Forest School, as children are likely to get muddy and older clothes are more suitable.
6. Bags, book bags and reading books
To keep corridors safe and storage manageable, we set clear expectations for bags:
EYFS and Key Stage 1: school book bags are expected and will be provided to children when they join the school. Please do not add charms to bags as they must fit in drawers to keep the classroom walkways safe and clear.
EYFS and KS1 children are expected to bring their book bag to school every day, so that reading books and key letters can travel safely between home and school.
Years 3–6: pupils may use a rucksack, which must be a sensible size to fit in classroom storage.
Reading books and book‑bag books are an important part of our approach to early reading and home–school partnership, so all children are expected to transport their books in a bag that protects them. Please do not put water bottles in bags with reading books – any water damaged reading books must be replaced.
7. Jewellery, hair and accessories
We follow DfE guidance which allows schools to set clear expectations on jewellery and appearance for safety and good order.
Jewellery
- No jewellery should be worn in school except for small stud earrings in pierced ears.
- Hoop earrings and dangling earrings are not suitable for school, as they pose a clear risk of injury during play and PE (for example, being caught on equipment or by other children).
- Watches may be worn if they are simple and not internet‑enabled or a distraction in class.
For PE and sporting activities, pupils must remove stud earrings or cover them securely with tape provided from home, in line with health and safety guidance.
Parents are politely asked to arrange any new ear piercings at the start of the summer holidays so that earrings can be safely removed for PE in term time.
Hair and accessories
Hair should be clean, neat and styled in a way that does not distract from learning, while still respecting pupils’ cultural and religious identity, in line with DfE guidance on preventing hair discrimination.
Long hair should be tied back for PE, practical lessons and when requested for health and safety reasons.
Hair accessories (bands, clips, bobbles) should be minimal in size and in natural, black, blue or red colours.
Large bows, decorative headbands or fashion accessories are not appropriate for school and should not be worn – children will be asked to remove these items and put them in their bags ready to go home.
Make‑up and nail varnish are not appropriate for primary school and should not be worn; if a child arrives wearing them, parents may be asked to remove them for the next day.
8. Purchasing uniform and support with costs
New Seagrave‑branded uniform can be purchased from:
Your School Uniform (online – delivery): https://www.yourschooluniform.com/schools/index/seagrave-village-primary-school-11775
Example School Uniforms (online – delivery and click & collect): https://exampleschooluniforms.com/?s=seagrave&post_type=product
As delivery can take up to 4 weeks please ensure that you order in plenty of time especially during the school summer holidays.
Previously loved uniform is available through school in partnership with the LCH charity. We always have freshy laundered clothes on site – if we do not have the correct size we will request it for you – please just come and ask.
We are committed to keeping uniform affordable, in line with DfE statutory guidance on limiting branded items and giving parents choice over where to buy uniform. Families who are finding uniform costs challenging are encouraged to speak confidentially to the school office so that we can signpost support, including access to pre‑loved uniform.