Dress Code at XP Trust Secondary Schools

Summary

At XP, we believe that:

• Children need to learn to express themselves responsibly.
• Children are not all the same, so they should not be forced to look the same.
• Families would rather spend their money on clothes that their children can wear inside and outside school.
• Our strong community and positive culture will not tolerate any kind of bullying or teasing.

As such we do not have a school uniform. Instead, we have a dress code.

The Dress Code

Our dress code asks students and staff to:

Please dress appropriately and modestly.

Dress should not be offensive, dirty, revealing, portray gang membership or sexualise the child.

We should all be clean and hygienic and avoid overpowering perfumed products and the negative effect this has on others.

Students having difficulty with finding appropriate clothing for any reason should speak with their Crew leader.

“We can express who we are without showing off”

Abbie Williams, Year 9

Guidelines

For consistency, we have listed some guidelines, but recognise there may be some things that do not fall comfortably within these guidelines. Please use the process below to address any ambiguity.

Daily work within school

For a normal day within school, we do not think it appropriate or recommend that students wear:

• Noticeable make-up, including false eyelashes
• Valuable, sentimental or impractical jewellery
• False nails
• Impractical footwear including high heels, open-toed sandals etc
• Hats, hoods & coats inside school
• Revealing clothing eg crop tops, transparent leggings or hot pants
• If you can see up it, down it or through it, it’s not modest

This is not intended as an exhaustive list, but examples to illustrate how to dress appropriately.

If a teacher believes that any worn items are inappropriate for their session, students must remove them. Students are responsible for any items brought into school. For example, all accessories must be removed before attending PE sessions. All students have a secure locker available for this. 

PE kit

In line with our dress code, we expect students to arrive at PE lessons with a change of kit which is appropriate for the activity and all accessories removed. As a guideline we recommend the following:

• Sports T-shirt
• Sports shorts
• Tracksuit (top and trousers for use in winter)
• Sports trainers with non slip soles e.g. running shoes/astro turf (not plimsolls)
• Football boots
• Football socks
• Shin pads
• Gum shield

XP branded PE kit can be purchased from the school online clothing shop. It is preferred that specific sports leggings are worn for PE to avoid them being see through.

Students must change into their appropriate PE kit, and not wear the same clothes they wear in school. Similarly, students must change out of PE kit afterwards, into their normal school clothes.

The same guidelines apply to PE kit as normal school wear and should not be revealing or sexualise the child.

XP Outdoors & Fieldwork

Staff will advise students of what specific kit and dress requirements will be needed in advance of fieldwork for students to be appropriately dressed. Students are expected to have certain items as standard as we spend a lot of time outside, whatever the weather. Students must have the following kit available to them:

• Appropriate bag to carry belongings
• Appropriate footwear
• Water bottle
• Waterproof jacket
• Warm layers, hat & gloves (weather dependant)
• Sun hat & suncream (weather dependant)

For more information on personal kit, please click here to visit the XP Outdoors website.

Formal dress

On occasion it will be appropriate for students to dress more formally, for example during Celebrations of Learning, presentations or fieldwork at more formal premises and events. This helps prepare them in advance to enter the larger arena of the professional and business world and give them the mindset of the importance of the event and its audience. We will always give advance notice for such occasions.

At such events, students may wish to wear a shirt / blouse, trousers and shoes or a formal dress. XP branded clothing is also acceptable at these occasions.

Although we ask students to dress smartly, this should still be modest so please refer to the guidelines for daily work within school.

The Process

We recognise that we cannot provide an exhaustive set of guidelines. Instead, there is a process that allows decisions to be made.

A student’s Crew Leader will decide what is appropriate and modest. If a student or parent is not happy with their Crew Leader’s decision, they can raise it with their Phase Lead. The Phase Lead’s decision is final.

If a staff member feels that a student is not abiding by the dress code, they can challenge the student, and should raise the issue with the Crew Leader. If the Crew Leader deems the student dress is appropriate and modest, and the staff member does not agree, they can raise it with the Phase Lead. The Phase Lead’s decision is final.

Consequences

If a student is not in acceptable dress, their Crew Leader will give them a clear and specific reason why, and how to correct it. If necessary, students may be instructed to wear school-provided branded clothing for that day. If no acceptable clothing is available, the student may not be able to take part in activities.

Crew Leaders will challenge students who deliberately break the dress code, including regularly not coming with appropriate PE or outdoor expedition kit.

Branded clothing & sports wear

The XP & XPE Clothes Shop can be found at this link

You can get your branded clothing delivered to school to avoid delivery charges. To do this please use the code ‘XPSHIP’. You will then need to come into school to collect it.

Branded clothing is not compulsory at XP, but looks great!

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact your school.