Uniform

As you will be aware, we adopted a new behaviour policy in 2022 to bring Netherwood in line with other schools within the Trust and the local authority area. Student voice has shown a dramatic improvement in how students feel about the new routines and policies and the positive impact this is
having on their education. To ensure that Netherwood continues to have the high expectations that our Trust-wide behaviour policy sets out, we will be sharing some of the required elements with you over the coming months to ensure that all Netherwood students are ready and able to meet these in September 2024. Some of these are reminders and some are subtle changes so please read thoroughly. We will be reissuing this guidance at each half term as a reminder. Students are ambassadors in our local community, and we expect all students to wear the full uniform correctly (e.g. with blazers on, ties on and with shirts tucked in), when travelling to and from the community. This is also the default when students are transitioning around the academy.
Uniform – Our uniform can be purchased from S & S Clothing (Netherwood (ssclothing.co.uk)),
Grimethorpe or Vortex, Stairfoot (Netherwood ALC (vortexschoolwear.co.uk))
Students are expected to wear the following to school each day;
Netherwood blazer
Netherwood tie
White collared shirt
Black trousers – These should be full length, tailored, loose fitting and long enough to touch
the shoe when the student is standing (see approved styles).

Black polishable shoes – These should be traditional in style, leather (or leather look), with a
flat sole (or a heel no greater than 1 inch). No boots or canvas trainers. There should be no
obvious logos or decorations. Students should not have any exposed skin between their
trousers and their shoes.

Students may choose to wear a Netherwood jumper or a plain black V-neck jumper with no logos or emblems. We understand that for some families, finances are challenging, and some items can be expensive; to help keep costs down, we will be doing all we can to keep fashion out of school. This will be particularly noticeable in the approved footwear section. Currently, the most popular footwear choice comes in at around £110 whereas our approved section showcases footwear ranging from as little as £12 up to around £50. Students who deviate from this expectation will be held in the Triage Base until rectified. Any student who refuses to meet the uniform expectations will be placed in Reset, which includes a same-day detention. The academy has a range of uniform for students to borrow in the Uniform and Attendance Hub. We encourage any families experiencing financial concerns, causing uniform to fall below expectations, to reach out to the Academy either through the Year Team or direct to contact@astreanetherwood.org

From September 2024, no trainer-style shoes will be allowed. Students will no longer be able to wear Nike Air Force as part of their uniform. However, we can confirm that Kickers shoes/loafers are appropriate and approved footwear.

***NEW*** All Students will be required to come to the Academy with a backpack, these are not colour specific but must be A4 sized to contain all of their equipment, books, revision materials etc. Students should not come to school with drawstring sports bags unless it is containing their PE kit. Fashion handbags will not be considered as appropriate for school. PE Kit – Students should wear a Netherwood PE top and plain black bottoms. Leggings, joggers, shorts (which must be of an appropriate length, not more than 2 inches above the knee in length). Students have the option of a Netherwood PE hooded top, but this is not compulsory. Trainers are required for PE. There is no need for a particular trainer colour for PE, but they should be lace up or Velcro closing to satisfy health and safety requirements when taking part in sporting activities. Belts – If a student opts to wear a belt, it must be plain and discreet. It should be leather (or leather effect), have a small, professional buckle and no obvious branding. (see approved styles) Equipment – Students are expected to bring the following equipment to school each day; pen, pencil, ruler, purple pen, planner (with timetable stuck in). Failure to have the equipment results in a Tier 1 Detention. Students can purchase replacement items from the equipment shop run by our Prefect

Team inside the entrance of school each morning. Items are no more than 20p each. If your child forgets or loses their timetable this can be found in the My Child At School (MCAS) app by clicking on the three lines in the top left corner and selecting Timetable. Alternatively, your child can request a copy from their form tutor. Students are not to use the school reception for this.

Coats/Jackets – Whilst a coat/jacket is not part of our uniform and we do expect these to be removed upon entry to the building, we have noticed a considerable number of students arrive to the academy without one, no matter the weather. This results in uniform becoming wet and uncomfortable for them to wear which means they may end up walking between lessons without a blazer on and no longer meeting academy expectations. Please encourage your child to wear a coat to and from school on cold, wet or unpredictable days.

Jewellery – Students are allowed to wear a watch and one stud in each ear lobe; other jewellery such as rings, necklaces, bracelets and other piercings will be confiscated and stored in the school safe until the final day of the half-term, when a parent or carer can collect the jewellery from 15:05. This applies when students are in the academy grounds and starts and ends at the gates; jewellery seen at 15:00 and beyond within school grounds is still subject to confiscation. We strongly recommend that any items of value (sentimental or otherwise) are left at home for safekeeping.

Piercings – Other than a single stud per lobe, all other piercings must be removed before students arrive to school. We have seen an increase in nose, tongue and daith* (inner ear) piercings and we would like to be very clear that these are all banned within school. This includes any plastic retainer studs or bars. Any such items seen within school will be confiscated and sanctioned in line with policy. *There is currently no published medical data to support the use of daith piercings for migraines.

Hair – Hair should be a suitable, neat style. It should not be excessive and should be of a natural tone/colour.

Headscarves – Headscarves should be black in colour and any pins should be dark in colour and
discreet in style. Material should not be longer than the collar of the blazer.
Make-up and nails – Make-up should be discreet. Any make-up that is deemed excessive by the
academy, including false eyelashes, will need to be removed before students enter the academy.

Nails that are acrylic or coloured (including white) will need to be removed before students attend the academy. Students will be held in the Triage Base until make-up and nails are rectified. Any student who refuses to remove what is deemed as excessive make-up or coloured/acrylic nails will be placed in Reset which includes a same-day detention. Please note that students should not be applying additional make-up throughout the day and if caught doing so, the items will be confiscated in line with policy until 15.05 on the last day of the half-term.

Mobile Phones – We are aware that many of our students have mobile phones to contact friends and family on the way to and from school. Upon arrival at the school gates, all mobile phones should be switched off and placed in the student’s school bag. If a student does not have a bag, they must ensure that their mobile device is kept out of sight and turned off. Student devices should not be visible in external blazer pockets. This applies whenever students are on academy property and starts and ends at the gates; mobile phones seen at 15:00 within school grounds are still subject to confiscation. Should a mobile phone be seen or heard it will be confiscated and stored in the school safe until 15:05 the following day when a parent or carer can collect the device. Please encourage your child(ren) to adhere to this policy to avoid any concerns around travelling to and from school without their device.
Subsequent incidents involving mobile phone confiscation will result in students being subject to a mobile phone contract where they will have to hand over their device each day upon entry to the academy. This contract will be automatically triggered if a mobile phone is involved as part of a suspension. If any student who returns from a suspension that was issued in part, due to a mobile phone infringement and failure to hand over such device, they will be required to hand over their mobile device during their return meeting and it will be placed in the school safe until 15.05 the next school day. Should you have any questions please contact your child child’s Student Manager or Progress Leader whose contact details are in every student planner.