St Cuthbert's

The Department for Education strongly encourages schools to have a school uniform. This page sets out the school’s policy and approach on uniform and confirms the school’s commitment to providing value for money to parents and ensuring that no pupils is discriminated against due to their gender, disability, religion or belief, economic circumstances or social and cultural background.

The school uniform helps ensure that pupils of all races and backgrounds feel welcome. It protects pupils from social pressures to dress in a particular way; and nurtures cohesion, promoting good relations between different groups of pupils.

This policy follows the DfE statutory guidance, ‘Cost of school uniforms’, published November 2021 and takes account of the non-statutory guidance, ‘School uniforms’, published June 2023.

Our Local Governing Committee expect pupils to wear school uniform for the following reasons:

• It fosters a sense of identity and belonging to a school community.
• It promotes a sense of pride in the school, in line with our ethos and values.
• It supports positive behaviour and discipline.
• It is practical, comfortable and appropriate for activities in school.
• It is affordable.
• It helps pupils to feel equal and encourages cohesion.
• It has been designed with health and safety in mind.

Uniform table key

• O / R – optional or required item
• B / G – branded item required or generic (e.g. supermarket) alternative will be accepted
• Season specific – N = can be worn in any season

Uniform

Item	O / R	B / G	Season specific
Navy Blue sweatshirt or cardigan (school logo optional)	R	either	N
Pale Blue polo shirt (school logo optional)	R	either	N
Grey trousers or skirt/pinafore	R	either	N
Blue checked dress	O	either	summer term
Black/grey/ shorts or skorts	O	either	summer term
Plain grey/navy tights or plain grey/white socks	R	either	N
Black school shoes	R	G	N

PE uniform

On PE days, children should come to school in the PE kit which comprises of: 

Item	O / R	B / G	Season specific
Navy Blue shorts/joggers or leggings	R	G	N
White PE t-shirt	R	G	N
School sweatshirt/cardigan/hoodie	R	either	N
Trainers	R	G	N

All children will need a P.E. kit, on the days that children have their P.E. lesson they come to school wearing their P.E. kit. Indoor P.E. lessons take place in the school hall in bare feet. Outdoor P.E. lessons take place throughout the school year, please ensure that they have warmer clothing during the colder months. Fleeces and waterproof jackets with our school logo are also available.

Swimming – Year 4 children will also require suitable one-piece swimwear, small bath towels and a waterproof bag. Children from Year 3 also go swimming during the Summer Term each Academic year.  

How to Order

Our school uniform can be ordered online from The School Outfit, 11 Brockwell Road, Crowther Industrial Estate, Washington, NE38 0AF.

School really appreciates the children looking incredibly smart in their uniform. Please note, it is not necessary to have logos on sweatshirts etc

We thank you for your cooperation with this. 

Pre-loved uniform

To reduce costs to parents, the school keeps a stock of uniform that comes from uncollected lost property. This will be offered to parents in the Summer term.

Jewellery

For health and safety reasons, we do not allow children to wear jewellery in school (this includes earrings). If ear-rings are  worn, we will ask children to remove them or cover them with sticky tape. Inexpensive analogue wrist watches can be worn, but SMART watches or Fitbits are not allowed. Watches should be removed for PE lessons.

If you wish to have your child’s ears pierced, we ask that you do so at the start of the summer holidays to ensure that by the start of the autumn term there is no need for earrings to be worn.

Please refrain from extreme haircuts including lines and patterns shaved into the hair.