School Uniform, Jewellery, Make-Up and Hairstyles Expectations for 2022-23

Higham Lane School is first and foremost, a place of learning. We have a proud tradition and our distinctive uniform is part of that. With that in mind, students are expected to follow the rules below. Parental/carer support is essential in ensuring our focus is on learning and achievement. Your support is anticipated and greatly-appreciated.

The School Uniform and PE Kit are available from Match Fit Kit, Weddington Road, Nuneaton, CV11 4EU, 024 7635 0630; and The Schoolwear Centre, 36 Newdegate Street, Nuneaton, CV10 0AD, 024 7634 1682 (please check availability prior to visiting the stockists). If you choose to buy non-logo items such as trousers from other suppliers, please ensure that they are the same.

Uniform Suppliers

Our uniform can be purchased from:

• Certain non-branded items are available from other high street retailers
• Second-hand uniform in good condition is available from Student Services at Higham Lane School

Students are expected to wear the full uniform, including blazer, in the School and on their way to and from School. If students fail to do this appropriate sanctions will be applied.

1. Uniform

Uniform – PLEASE MARK EVERY ITEM WITH YOUR CHILD’S FULL NAME Students must wear full uniform in school and on their way to and from school.

a. Blazers

Required: All students must wear the official branded school blazer in school and on their way to and from school. Sleeves must be worn at the full length; they must not be rolled up or pulled up.

b. Coats

Required: A plain, full-length black coat or anorak, covering the top of trousers/skirts.

Unacceptable items include: Coats of any other colours; leather or leather-look jackets or coats; hoodies; tracksuit tops; fleeces; sweatshirts; jackets; denim jackets; coats containing large wording; camouflaged, patterned coats; markings, symbols or stripes; coats with excessive, unnecessary zips; coats from sports teams, any other leisurewear.

Please note that a jacket is an item that fits mid-stomach and tends to be lighter and less insulating than a coat. An example of such an item is the ‘Harrington jacket’ which is defined by its checked lining. Jackets of all types are not allowed.

c. Shirts/Blouses and Ties

Required: Plain red shirt or blouse tucked in please. Higham Lane branded clip-on tie only (old style ties are no longer sold by uniform suppliers as they are not allowed); top button done up on shirt, please.

d. Sweatshirt and Sweater

Optional: Official branded Higham Lane plain, black, V-necked sweatshirt or sweater with embroidered Higham Lane School logo. Unacceptable items include: any other sweater, sweatshirt, jumper or cardigan.

e. Trousers/Skirts

Students may choose to wear either trousers or a skirt as part of the School uniform.

Required: Plain black, polyester trousers in good condition, not fraying. They should be tailored and suitable for business wear. Unacceptable items include: cords, cotton or denim or flares. Trousers that are skin -tight and also limit the ability to tuck shirts in.

Required: Skirt: Either the official branded plain black pleated HLS skirt with school logo. Or: a plain, black, pleated skirt with no logo that is of an appropriate length - that sits just on or above the knee and is not rolled up or worn high above the knee. (Please kindly note: The Years 10 and 11 2022-23 are the last two year groups who can wear straight skirts if they fit appropriately. Younger year groups will not be able to wear these).

f. Belts

Optional: Plain black belt only. Unacceptable items include: belts of other colours; large buckles and patterned belts.

g. Socks/Tights

Required: Plain black or grey socks only should be worn with trousers. Plain black opaque or flesh coloured tights or plain black ankle socks should be worn with the skirt. No socks with lace trims or frills are allowed.

h. Shoes and Boots

Required: Flat-heeled, plain, smart black leather or leather-look formal shoes. Plain, smart, ankle-height, black leather or leather-look formal boots. Shoes and boots should be worn with trousers covering ankles and have only black laces. Boots cannot be worn with skirts.

Unacceptable items include:  trainers - this includes plain black training shoes that look like shoes. Training shoes tend to have a sports logo and/or brand on them such as Adidas, Nike, Puma, Lonsdale, Umbro etc. They also have a rubber sports sole. These types of shoes are not acceptable. Leisure trainers and/or casual shoes such as Vans and Converse are also not acceptable. High-heels, shoes with coloured sections. Suede shoes or boots. Pumps. Canvas shoes or boots. Boots above ankle-height, particularly military-style, construction worker-type, Dr Martens etc. Coloured or multi-coloured laces.

i. Hats

Required: Hats should not be worn on the school site unless we have very cold or very sunny weather. No hats should be worn inside the school buildings.

j. Scarves

Optional: Scarves should not be worn inside the school buildings. Students who attend school in incorrect uniform, including unacceptable footwear, will be lent the correct item from Student Services. Refusal to wear these items will result in the student being placed in the Inclusion Room. Repeated refusal to cooperate with our expectations may result in the student being given a suspension until they wear the correct uniform. Please note: it is not acceptable for students to be excused from wearing the correct uniform because they are waiting for a repair or for items to be delivered. Alternative footwear for medical reasons may be considered but this is at the School’s discretion.

2. Make-up

Years 7 and 8 are not allowed to wear make-up. Years 9, 10 and 11 can wear a discrete amount, but may be asked to remove excessive amounts. Eyeliner flicks are not allowed. Students refusing to remove make-up will be placed in the Inclusion Room and parents/carers will be contacted. False eye lashes, coloured nail varnish and/ or false nails are also not allowed.

3. Jewellery

No jewellery other than a watch, school badges and one, small, plain ear stud per ear may be worn. Other piercings such as spacers, lobes, forward helix and industrial piercings are not allowed. The School decision on this is final. If a student is unsure about the suitability of a piercing, they should check with their Progress Leader before having it done. The wearing of jewellery in PE is not allowed for health and safety reasons. PLEASE NOTE: necklaces and jewellery should not be worn.

PLEASE NOTE: it is not an acceptable excuse for a student to ask to wear unapproved jewellery to prevent a pierced ear or nose from closing up. Covering piercings with a plaster or other item is not acceptable. In these circumstances, a student refusing to remove an item of jewellery will be placed in the Inclusion Room and parents/carers will be contacted.

4. Hairstyles

Long hair should be tidy, should not cover the eyes and should be tied up for health and safety reasons during certain lessons such as PE, Science and Technology. Hair slides/bands/scrunchies should be plain in colour and design.

No other hair accessories such as bandannas, flower garlands or flowers are allowed. Parents/carers should not allow their children to have hairstyles that break the rules during term time. If these instructions are not followed, students will be placed in the Inclusion Room and parents/carers contacted. Please bear in mind that hair dyes take several days to wash out and tramlines take several days to grow back.

Please save experimentation to the summer holiday. Not acceptable: Colouring that stands out and is obviously different from the student’s natural hair colour (eg pink, blue, green, red etc.); tramlines; shaved areas that leave hair at different lengths; hair shaped into patterns.

Please be aware of recent trends where the sides and back of the head is cut short leaving a distinct line/edge between that area and the rest of the hair (sometimes known as an ‘undercut’ or ‘disconnection’).

This type of haircut is not allowed. Thank you for your assistance in supporting smart appearance in Higham Lane School students. The overwhelming majority of our students meet these expectations and look extremely smart every day.

We hope you will agree that these are simple, straight-forward expectations. By encouraging your child to follow these rules, we can all focus on teaching and learning and achievement, not waste time phoning you about inappropriate footwear or hairstyles. Parents/ carers have agreed to send their child/children to this school.

Adhering to our school uniform, jewellery, make-up and hairstyles expectations is essential. Inappropriate items will be confiscated from students, where appropriate and students will face further sanctions if they refuse to comply with these rules. We know that this will be a very small number of students as the overwhelming majority of students will meet with our expectations.

5. Tattoos

Students are not allowed to have tattoos.

Thank you for your assistance in supporting smart appearance in Higham Lane students. I hope you will agree these are simple, straight-forward expectations. By encouraging your child to follow these rules, we can all focus on teaching and learning and achievement, not waste time phoning you about the colour of a coat or hairstyle. You have agreed to send your son/daughter to this school. Adhering to our dress code is essential. Inappropriate items will be confiscated from students, where appropriate and students will face further sanctions if they refuse to comply with these rules.

6. PE Kit

The PE kit available from our two current uniform suppliers- The Schoolwear Centre and Matchfit Kit.

PE Kit

In September 2011, we introduced a new PE kit this year for boys and girls. If students have the old-style of PE kit, this is acceptable, but please can you be aware that the new range of higher quality kit is now available.

Girls (Required) 

• Training shoes, clean and appropriate for indoor use
• Red/black shorts with HLS logo or without HLS logo
• Red/black polo shirt with HLS logo
• Red/black sports socks with HLS lettering or plain black sports socks
• Red/black hoodie with HLS logo

Optional

• Plain, black track suit bottoms
• Red baselayer
• Higham Lane sports leggings with logo (no other leggings are allowed) (We would recommend all of the above optional items as a lot of the lessons are outside)

Boys (Required)

• Training shoes, clean and appropriate for indoor use
• Football boots
• Red/black polo shirt with HLS logo
• Red/black shorts with HLS logo or without HLS logo
• Reversible rugby top
• Red/Black sports socks with HLS lettering or plain black sports socks

Optional

• Plain, black track suit bottoms
• Red/black hoodie with HLS logo
• Red baselayer

(We would recommend all of the above optional items as a lot of the lessons are outside).

Please mark every item with your child’s full name. All students are expected to have the compulsory items for the first PE lesson.

Extras

The following items of kit are optional, but, due to the fact that many sports take place outdoors, these items are highly recommended. They are suitable for boys and girls and can be purchased from the PE Department in September.

Item

• Black training jacket with school logo (This can be worn as the school coat).
• Black training trousers.

All students are expected to have the compulsory items for the first PE lesson.
 

Thank you for your assistance in supporting smart appearance in Higham Lane School students. The overwhelming majority of our students meet these expectations and look extremely smart every day. We hope you will agree that these are simple, straight-forward expectations. By encouraging your child to follow these rules, we can all focus on teaching and learning and achievement, not waste time phoning you about inappropriate footwear or hairstyles. Parents/carers have agreed to send their child/children to this school. Adhering to our school uniform, jewellery, make-up and hairstyles expectations is essential.

Inappropriate items will be confiscated from students, where appropriate and students will face further sanctions if they refuse to comply with these rules. We know that this will be a very small number of students as the overwhelming majority of students will meet with our expectations.

 

Thank you, in anticipation, for your support.