School Uniform

We encourage all our children to wear their uniform smartly and with pride.

All items of uniform must be labelled with the child’s name.

Standard Longlands school uniform consists of the following:

• white collared shirt or blouse
• grey jumper or cardigan
• charcoal/grey trousers or skirt
• black/grey/white socks
• blue and white checked dress for summer if desired
• white polo shirt for summer if desired N.B. A tie is not compulsory with a white polo shirt in the summer
• sensible black school shoes, NOT boots, shoes with heels or trainers
• a black and grey striped school tie (can be purchased from the school office)
• a backpack, for bringing items to and from school. Handbags are NOT appropriate for school.
• For children in EYFS, a backpack is not appropriate or necessary and children should only come to school with a school book bag.
• The children use our school field in all weathers therefore it is advisable that children are able to leave in school a change of footwear, either Wellington boots or trainers, for playtimes.

Our uniform is gender neutral. This means that all pupils are free to select any item to wear from the school uniform list provided.

Please note: It is not compulsory to have the school logo on jumpers and cardigans but if you would like your child to have these items, you can purchase them from Caseys Schoolwear 246 Blackfen Road, DA15 8PW or Caseys website.

General notes on appearance

Shirts should be tucked in at all times.

A summer uniform is available and can be worn during the summer term (after Easter until October half term).

All children need a suitable labelled coat depending on the weather.

PE Kit

We require that our pupils come to school on their designated PE days, dressed appropriately for the timetabled activities. They need to be wearing appropriately labelled PE kit consisting of the following:

• plain trainers for outdoor PE
• black/grey/white socks
• black/grey/white T-shirt
• black/grey/white shorts
• a plain, dark-coloured tracksuit for outdoor games in cold weather

Please ensure that PE kit is plain.

If they do not have their kit they will still be part of the lesson, but may not necessarily participate in some or all of the lesson.

Jewellery

• Jewellery should not be worn or brought into school – this includes bracelets, necklaces or rings.
• If children have pierced ears, ONE pair of discreet gold or silver studs may be worn. Hooped earrings of any size must not be worn for Health and Safety reasons.
• Earrings must be removed for PE lessons for health and safety reasons. If your child is unable to remove the earrings themselves, they should not come to school with them in on PE days.
• The school reserves the right to ask a pupil to remove a piece of jewellery if it does not comply with any of the above or is causing a distraction.
• Watches are allowed, but not smart watches.

Hairstyles and Hair accessories

• Hair should be one natural colour, no hair dye.
• The style should be appropriate for school; hair should not obstruct pupil’s vision.
• Pupils with long hair (longer than shoulder length) are advised to tie their hair back when necessary and are expected to have an appropriate hair band in school to facilitate this.
• Where hair is tied back, this should be done using a plain, non-patterned hair band or clip that corresponds with school colours – black, grey, white or navy blue.
• Hair bows are permitted, but should be reasonable in size. A rough guide would be that the bow (or any other accessory) could fit comfortably in the palm of a child’s hand, without it covering their fingers.
• The school reserves the right to ask a pupil to remove a hair accessory if it does not comply with any of the above or is causing a distraction.
• We would ask parents and/or carers to avoid having ‘severe’ haircuts or designs shaved into hairstyles.

Religious Observance

The school understands that for some children and families, acts of religious observance may necessitate changes to uniform – either permanently or at designated times of the year. This may include religious jewellery and head wear.

At Longlands, we respect the rights of all members of our community to practice and acknowledge their faith in whatever form is appropriate to do so. However, we kindly ask parents and/or carers to keep us informed of any such changes to uniform, as this may involve additional considerations for health and safety risk assessments.

Specifically, in the case of items (religious jewellery) the school may request a child remove such items temporarily, to safely take place in physical activities. Were this to be the case, the matter would be discussed with parents and/or carers in advance; provided the school is aware of said jewellery.

Gender and Uniform

This policy is intended to be gender-neutral in regards to what uniform decisions parents and/or carers make in collaboration with their child. As a school, we recognise that children may identify in different ways and wish to wear uniform that reflects these choices.

At Longlands, we respect decisions made by children and families in regards to these choices and will always actively encourage the wider school community to do the same.

If you wish to discuss this matter confidentially, please contact the school office to arrange a meeting with the relevant person.

Students must not wear:

• Hoodies, football kits, sportswear or sweatshirts.
• Trainers are NOT allowed to be worn at any time other than for PE lessons, during lunchtimes at the field and clubs.
• Boots are not appropriate footwear. If your child needs to wear boots to travel to school, they should change into school shoes once inside the building.
• Make-up, temporary tattoos and nail varnish must NOT be worn to school. If a child comes into school in make-up, they will be asked to remove it. Class teachers may also ask children to remove temporary tattoos or nail varnish, if appropriate to do so.