Uniform

Uniform is an important aspect of equal opportunities at Parkside Community College. It also affords some safety and protection for younger students as they can be easily identified as students of the college. 

School uniform is compulsory and students who fail to wear the correct school dress will receive a consequence. 

Uniform Supplier 

Our uniform supplier is Sportswear International Ltd (SWI). Orders can be placed online at www.swischoolwear.co.uk or by telephone on 01928 752610 (Option1). Enquiries can be sent to customerservice@swi.co.uk 

SWI have a parent guide which you can view here and another leaflet, including how they are staying Covid-19 secure, which you can view here  

Secondhand uniform is available to purchase periodically via PTA uniform sales held in-school, communications regarding this are sent out ahead of time.

Uniform Expectations 

We expect students to wear the following. Items marked with an asterisk (*) below must be purchased from SWI. The other items can be purchased from any supplier, however, we hope that as many families as possible will purchase the SWI uniform items: 

• Grey jumper with school logo*
• Plain grey trousers (leggings are only permitted under a skirt and do not count as trousers) 
• Plain grey skirt (A-line or pleated) These should be at the knee or slightly above the knee. Skirts must not be made of stretchy, form-fitting or jersey material. 
• Plain grey tailored shorts. These should be at the knee or slightly above the knee. The shorts must not be sports shorts or made of jersey/tracksuit bottom material.
• Coats (hoodies are not permitted, even over uniform items)
• Blue buttoned plain shirt (not a polo shirt)
• Dark coloured socks  
• Plain black polishable leather style shoes 

Please see below for images of the uniform: 

• We do not accept the following: 
  • jogging bottoms or sports trousers in place of school trousers 
  • jeans 
  • jeggings 
  • mini skirts 
  • hot pants 
  • Hoodies or any non-school uniform sweatshirt
• Shorts should be tailored grey cloth shorts only, not sports shorts or denim shorts
• Skirts should be straight or pleated and knee length. (Long, short, jersey, lycra, body-con and wrap round skirts are not allowed.)
• Plain, tailored, grey trousers only (not skinny jeans, jeans, leggings, or jogging bottoms. They must cover the ankle and not be tight-fitting.)
• Black leggings can be worn, but only under a skirt
• If headscarves are worn for religious reasons, they should be a plain in colour. 
• Hair must remain a natural colour. 
• Make-up must be discreet and natural looking. 
• Nail polish is not permitted. False nails and nail extensions are not permitted. 
• Jewellery is not permitted, except stud earrings and a watch, unless for religious or cultural reasons.  
• All jewellery must be removable for PE

PE Kit Expectations 

PE kit is required for every PE lesson. The items marked with an asterisk (*) below must be purchased from SWI. Other items may be purchased locally but are also available from SWI. Old versions of Parkside PE kit are no longer acceptable. If students want to wear extra kit in order to keep warm during colder periods, an extra base layer may be worn under the PE kit. Other outerwear is not acceptable for PE lessons. 

• APTUS Polo Shirt CAP Royal/White*
• APTUS 1/4 Zip Training Top CAP Black/White* 
• Plain black shorts
• Plain black jogging bottoms
• Plain black leggings 

Footwear

Suitable sports shoes are required for PE lessons. They must be clean for indoor activities at Parkside. ‘Fashion’ trainers do not offer sufficient grip or foot support and should be avoided for PE lessons. Trainers do not need to be of a particular colour for PE lessons. Football boots are strongly recommended for when the ground is soft and more slippery. For certain activities (for example gymnastics) students will be working in bare feet. 

Socks should be comfortable and allow good foot health. It is good hygiene to change socks after PE lessons, so it is recommended that you provided different pairs for PE and school uniform. 

Jewellery, Nails and Hair 

School rules permit students to wear one pair of stud earrings but please note that all jewellery must be removed for PE lessons. This includes all body piercings, plastic or metal, and friendship bands. These items represent a potential hazard, not only to the wearer but also to other children. 

The Association for Physical Education Safe Practice states that any jewellery worn in Physical Education lessons is an unnecessary risk and should be avoided at all times. Serious accidents have occurred as a result of contact between pupils wearing earrings or studs and other pupils or equipment. Taping over earrings is no longer considered sufficient or good practice as it does not effectively prevent injury, particularly impact injuries. 

Nails must be kept short. False nails are not permitted. Nails that are longer than the finger can cause injuries to other students.  

Students with long hair must secure it away from their face with a hair elastic or headband. 

Water 

Students are encouraged to maintain good hydration at Parkside, but this must not become an excuse to disrupt teaching and learning. Students are encouraged to have a full bottle of water for PE lessons. In the case of indoor lessons these will be left outside the playing space to avoid creating a slip hazard. 

Resources Expectations 

All students are expected to have a serviceable bag for their belongings, including: 

• A pencil case 
• A black or blue pen, plus a green pen for marking 
• A pencil and pencil sharpener 
• A ruler 
• A rubber 
• A protractor and compass 
• A scientific calculator, preferably the Casio FX-83GTCW or Casio FX-85GTCW (approximate cost £10-12)
• A black whiteboard marker 
• A glue stick
• Students are advised to carry a water bottle with them.