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Chesterton Playgroup Home/School Agreement

Supporting Your Child Before/After School Clubs

Chesterton school has decided to opt for a dress code. 
This consists of:

• A pair of predominantly black trainers, or trainer-type school shoes. These should not have large logos or significant amounts of other colours. They should be suitable for a range of school activities, including running and playing. These should not be boots, plimsolls or canvas trainers of any kind. *See below for more details.
• A white polo shirt / white blouse / button-up shirt.
• A navy blue sweatshirt (logo optional) or cardigan.
• Black or dark grey 'school-type' trousers, skirt or tailored shorts (smart culottes are also acceptable). Shorts should not be cycling shorts/football shorts and should be made of the same material as school trousers.
• Plain (no logos/patterns) socks (black, grey, white or navy) or tights (black, grey or navy). 
• A 'Gingham' blue/white check summer dress/'playsuit' or grey pinafore dress. (Please note that short 'cycling' shorts worn underneath dresses should be black, grey or navy, as per tights)
• A coat or waterproof jacket

*Change to school footwear requirements*
We wanted to let you know, that following our recent parental survey, where over three quarters of respondents supported a move away from traditional school shoes, we are going to make the change to black trainers. We appreciate that trainers may seem less 'smart' than school shoes, but we feel that if parents and children follow the guidelines (see above), our pupils will still look smart, whilst also being able to be more easily active during the school day. There is increasing evidence and thinking that some traditional school shoes (particularly those marketed to girls) inhibit physical activity and development. For example, using our climbing equipment, skipping, or playing football is not as easy in many styles of school shoe. As you know, P.E. and physical activity is an integral part of what we do at Chesterton and we are always looking for ways to ensure that our pupils' days at school are as active as possible. This will also mean that, during drier months and when taking part in P.E. lessons inside or on the playground, you will not need to provide a separate pair of trainers for P.E. We would still ask then when your child's class is taking part in P.E. on the field, especially in the winter, that they do have a change of shoes.
As we appreciate that many children will still fit into their current school shoes in September, we are going to allow a crossover period until Easter 2026, when we will expect all pupils to meet the new requirements.
If you have specific questions regarding the new expectations (e.g. you would like to check if a pair of trainers would be allowed in advance), please do not hesitate to contact the school office. We have included some real-life examples below. As you will see, some would be sold as school shoes and meet current expectations, so if your child has some in the 'hybrid' style, then you don't need to do anything differently.
School uniform can be ordered from PMG Schoolwear: access the website here
Their service is very straightforward and easy to use. You will be able to order your uniform over the internet, by phone or by post.

Polo shirts, sweatshirts and cardigans, which are manufactured with the school logo embroidered on the front, can be purchased via the link above. A selection of sizes are available in the school office to try on. Please be aware - It is not compulsory for school uniform to carry the school logo. However, uniform containing the school logo does increase a sense of pupil identity within the school and can make it easier for parents to decide what is/is not appropriate for school.

We would ask that the following items of clothing are not part of the school uniform:

• Jeans or skinny-jean like trousers
• Chinos or corduroy trousers
• Patterned tights / Brightly coloured/patterned socks / Long sports socks
• Leggings (either instead of trousers or instead of tights)
• Tracksuit bottoms/sports or cycling shorts
• Hooded tops (either worn instead of school jumpers or as coats)
• Traditional school shoes (after Easter 2026)
• Boots instead of school trainers
• Coloured P.E. T-shirts without the school logo (unless new to the school and waiting for an order to arrive)

Wellington boots
A change of footwear for use on the field in essential in order to keep our school clean and tidy, and these need to be kept at school throughout the term. We would therefore ask that a pair of wellies are kept in school at all times to enable us to make use of the field for outdoor learning and playtimes in all weathers. These should be stored neatly on the welly racks outside the classrooms.

PE Kit

• P.E. shirts in house colours are available from PMG (our usual suppliers). These should be worn as part of the school P.E. kit for use in PE lessons and for other sporting activities. They should also be worn for Sports Day in the Summer Term. Your child and any siblings will always remain in the same house, meaning that there won't be a need to find different coloured shirts each year. This is the only item of school uniform that we insist carries the school logo, as it is sometimes worn for inter-school sporting events. Other plain t-shirts, football shirts and school polo shirts are not permitted for P.E. lessons.
• Navy blue/black shorts (a 'skort' is also suitable).
• Training shoes for outdoor games (hi-top trainers are not suitable)
• Dark coloured tracksuit trousers and warm top for outdoor games/cold weather.
  (Plain, dark coloured leggings can be worn as an alternative to shorts/tracksuit bottoms)

*NB: Shorts should be worn for all P.E. lessons, with tracksuit bottoms worn on top when necessary. There are P.E. activities where the wearing of long trousers presents a safety hazard (e.g. Using large gymnastics equipment). Tracksuit trousers are also not suitable for hot weather, especially when taking part in activities that involve a lot of running.

These items should preferably be kept in a drawstring bag, or smaller shoulder bag that does not take up too much cloakroom space and should be in school all week. We sometimes have issues with pupils saying that their kit is at home because they 'didn't think PE was on that day.' Children should not wear any of the same clothes for PE that they have worn for the rest of the day.

Swimming
Children in Years 3 to 6 also require a swimming kit which should include:

• A one-piece swimming costume for girls
• Swimming trunks or shorts for boys (These should be above the knee as long shorts make it more difficult for children who are learning to swim)
• A towel
• A swimming hat

Please be aware that, should swimming goggles be needed, a letter from parents/carers is required. Doctors no longer provide letters for goggles, nor do we request this. This will be explained in the start of year swimming letter. We also ask that all items of clothing or footwear are clearly marked with the child's name.

Jewellery

The only jewellery that is permitted at school for pupils is one pair of simple stud earrings and/or a wrist watch. Children wearing necklaces, wrist bands, bracelets, extra earrings etc. will be asked to remove them.
A local authority regulation also forbids the wearing of jewellery in schools for physical activities, including P.E. lessons and also swimming. If your child has recently had their ears pierced, then please provide 'micropore' tape for them to cover their earrings whilst participating in PE lessons. If your child cannot remove their earrings independently, then they should not be worn to school on P.E. days. Any earrings that are removed for P.E. are the responsibility of the child.

Make Up & Hair Dye

Make-up of any kind (including nail varnish) is not permitted. Non-natural colour hair dye or spray is not permitted, unless as part of a non-uniform/dress up day. In this case, it should be non-permanent, so that it can be washed out for the next school day.

Non-uniform Days

Please note that, whilst we generally let parents/children have free choice of outfits on these days, we ask that the following are not worn:

• Revealing items of clothing (incl. very short skirts or shorts, bikini tops, cropped tops).
• Clothing with inappropriate slogans.
• Open-toed sandals / Crocs

Hair accessories

We would ask you to keep hair accessories simple and avoid items such as braids, flowers, large bands, and bandanas. If you are not sure, please ask.
* Please note that long hair (beyond shoulder-length) should be tied back (boys and girls), so that it is not a distraction in the classroom or a safety hazard during P.E. sessions. This will also help with avoiding the spread of headlice.


Although this may seem like a list of 'do nots', we felt that, as parents, you would appreciate clear guidelines when discussing school uniform or shopping for new items with your children. We also feel that, for the vast majority of pupils and parents who adhere to the guidelines, it is fair that these are enforced properly across the school and that incorrect uniform is addressed. The last thing you want is to have a battle with your child at home on wearing the correct uniform, only to find that the rules are not being applied fairly in school.

We thank you for your continued backing with our school uniform and your help in maintaining the high standards that we hope are associated with all aspects of the school. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us.

May we also take this opportunity to thank all parents for their support across all areas this year.