In February 2025 we surveyed parents about proposed changes to our PE uniform for children in KS2. This issue was brought to us following a discussion at the school council meeting. Thank you for such an excellent response – almost 230 in total.

The results are as follows:

95% of respondents supported the change to give more time in lessons, with 92% also believing that this would benefit children to feel less self-conscious as they grow older.

93% of respondents were happy for a change to be implemented in September 2025, with some parents commenting in the free text that this could be sooner.

85% were happy with the costs for the new uniform items.

We have also read and considered all the views shared in the free text box.

As a response the senior leaders in school have met and discussed this in detail and this has also been shared back with the school council, whose initiative this was. The local committee of the school has also been consulted. We are all clear that this adjustment to our school uniform is still uniform… it is just uniform for PE days. It is not a lowering of the standards of presentation for children at school by coming in PE kit of any kind and we will therefore look for parental support in ensuring that children continue to come in the correct uniform on these days.

We are therefore going to be making the following changes to PE uniform for KS2 only from September 2025:

1. On the days when children have PE or games children will come to school in their PE uniform (2 days each week).
2. The uniform is… A white T-shirt with the BCPS logo, plain black tracksuit trousers (which may have a small logo on but no coloured stripes down the side please), a red school hoodie with the BCPS logo, plain black trainers, black socks, black shorts.
3. In the summer, children can come to school in their white T-shirt with the BCPS logo and black shorts; the hoodie and tracksuit trousers need not be worn as the weather gets hotter.

The next step for us as a school is to source the new hoodie in order to get the best quality garment we can at the best price for parents. We are asking for a number of suppliers to send us samples and their best costings for this, in order to keep costs to a minimum. Having good quality garments will mean that the uniform has to be purchased less frequently and in time there may well be the option to purchase ‘pre-loved’ hoodies. We are also exploring what options we may have to support families with multiple children in the same year group or for families facing financial pressures to be able to have some financial assistance.

Kind regards,

Mark Mitchell

Headteacher