School Uniform
St. Benedict’s Catholic School is proud of its children and of their appearance. School uniform is compulsory. All uniform must be clearly labelled.
Aims 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;
- Identifies the children with the school;
- Prevents children from coming to school in fashion clothes that could be distracting in class;
- Makes children feel equal to their peers in terms of appearance;
- Is regarded as suitable wear for school and good value for money by most parents;
- Is designed with health and safety in mind.
Our school’s uniform
- Maroon jumper or cardigan with school logo (from Uniform Base)
- Regular classic fit, A-line grey skirt or pinafore dress (not black or charcoal)
- Grey trousers (not black or charcoal)
- White shirt
- School tie
- Black or grey tights
- Black or grey socks
- Black sensible school shoes (no trainers, boots or shoes with high heels)
- Maroon gingham dress (not culottes) with white socks and sandals (Summer Term). Sandals without toe cover or ankle strap are not allowed.
P.E. Kit
- White t-shirt with school logo from Uniformbase or plain white t-shirt with no logo
- Navy shorts
- Navy tracksuit for Winter Term
- Black plimsolls / any trainers for outdoor activity
- Earrings are not permitted to be worn in P.E.
Children are not permitted to wear jewellery, including pierced earrings, during PE lessons. Staff are not allowed to take out or replace children’s earrings if they are unable to do so themselves. If a child has recently had their ears pierced and are unable to remove their earrings, they will not be permitted to take part in PE lessons for 6 weeks, after which time they will be expected to remove their earrings. Children who are not able or permitted to take part in the physical element of lessons will be required to take on a coaching role, observation tasks or take part in theory-based activities.
Our policy follows national advice issued by the Association of Physical Education (AfPE). It is now felt that the taping of earrings ‘creates a perception of safety and is not recommended’.
The most recent guidelines state: ‘All jewellery should be removed prior to a physical education lesson due to the increased risk of it becoming caught or causing injury to the wearer or fellow learner. The wearing of any jewellery increases the risk of injury significantly.’
Forest School Kit
- Waterproof gloves
- Waterproof jacket AND waterproof trousers (**All in one waterproof is best)
- Fleece/sweatshirt
- Long trousers in all seasons
- Long sleeve T-shirt
- Wellies
- Sun hat/woolly hat
- Spare socks
- At least 4 layers in winter– e.g. vest, long sleeve T-shirt, fleece and waterproof plus a coat, gloves and extra socks
Jewellery, hair and other expectations
- Children are not allowed to wear jewellery at school including earrings for health and safety reasons.
- Smart watches and step tracking devices are not allowed at school.
- Hair that can be tied back, should be tied back.
- Gel or similar hair products should not be worn.
- No hair dye, tramlines or indentations.
- Hair extensions should match the child’s hair colour exactly.
- Fancy bands, large or numerous bows, clips or beads should not be worn.
- Hair clips and hair bands should match school colours (maroon, white or grey) and be small in size.
- Nail varnish, false nails, make-up, body transfer tattoos and body adornments are strictly forbidden in school.
- Items which are not allowed will be taken from children and returned to parents.
Footwear
Footwear should be black. Children are not permitted to wear trainers to school. Velcro shoes are encouraged for reception and key stage 1.
Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 should wear trainers to school on Forest School days.
School Bags
Years R, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 will need a school bookbag to carry their books and snack in. These can be purchased from the office via Arbor. You may wish to attach a keyring to help your child identify their own bookbag. Please limit this to one, small keyring.
Only Year 6 are allowed to bring their own choice of school bags.
Sun Protection
During hot, sunny weather, children must wear a St. Benedict’s yellow school cap during break times to protect them from the strong sunshine. These must also be worn on all school outings. It is recommended that parents apply a suitable all day sun protection cream/lotion to their children before school.
