Thank you to everyone who responded to the school uniform survey.
Your comments were engaged, insightful and appreciated. They were often also contradictory, which makes sense. We are a collection of individuals with different concerns and values – this is a big part of what makes our school a dynamic and rich environment.  

In developing this new school uniform policy, we have tried to balance these competing comments and concerns to achieve the best outcome for the most people. Set out below is a summary of the new school uniform policy, as well as the main reasons for the decisions we've made.  

We hope you'll understand why these decisions were made, even if they weren't your personal choice in every case. 

New Dunalley Uniform Policy 

School uniform for Reception to Year 2 

• Brown jumper with school logo or brown cardigan with school logo 
• White polo shirt 
• Black jogging bottoms, black leggings or black PE shorts (no patterns) 
• Black trainers (plain) 
• Wellies (to be left at school)
• Bookbag with school logo  
• Green fleece with school logo (this is optional and is to be worn over a brown jumper or cardigan) 

This uniform is to be worn every day. Pupils in Reception to Year 2 do not change for PE. 

School uniform for Year 3 to Year 6 

• Brown jumper with school logo or brown cardigan with school logo 
• White polo shirt
• Black trousers, black shorts or black skirt (to be worn with black tights or black socks)
• Yellow and white gingham summer dress (this is optional and to be worn with white socks). These dresses may only be worn from September to October Half Term and in the Summer term
• Sturdy, black school shoes 
• Wellies (to be left at school) 
• PE kit is black PE shorts and black jogging bottoms or black leggings and trainers 
• Green fleece with school logo (this is optional and is to be worn over a brown jumper or cardigan) 

This uniform is to be worn every day. For PE, pupils in Year 3 to Year 6 change into black jogging bottoms, leggings or PE shorts and trainers. They continue to wear their white polo shirts for PE.  

Questions and Answers on the New Dunalley Uniform Policy 

When does this uniform policy take effect and will there be a phase-in period? 

The new uniform policy takes effect 1 January 2023. This means until 1 January 2023, children may continue to wear clothing that was previously part of the Dunalley school uniform. This includes yellow polo shirts, shirt/tie, dark grey trousers and shorts, brown dresses and skirts, house coloured logoed PE shirts. We do not recommend further purchases of any of the items – the transition period is to allow families to gradually replace these existing items. Children in Year 3 to Year 6 may continue to wear black jogging bottoms, leggings or PE shorts to school every day during the transition period. In the school uniform survey, over 70% of you indicated that a 1 year transition period was appropriate. 

Why is Dunalley keeping brown jumpers and cardigans rather than switching to forest green? 

Over 60% of those who responded wanted to keep brown tops. The most cited reasons were to prevent waste and unnecessary expense. Many of you explained why it is important to your children to keep cardigans. While there was support, including from an informal survey of children in school, for a change to forest green, such a fundamental change must have the support of our families. 

Why has Dunalley set slightly different uniforms for "Reception to Year 2" and for "Year 3 to Year 6"? 

It's a compromise. While 57% of you supported an "active uniform" every day, 43% of you preferred a "traditional uniform" on non-PE days.  

In settling on "active uniform" every day for Reception to Year 2 and "traditional uniform" every day for Year 3 to Year 6 (changing into PE bottoms and trainers for PE), we sought to balance the following considerations: 

• Staff are keen to maximise the time children have for PE, Commando Joes and Forest School - changing for PE reduces this.  
• Much of your support for "active uniform" focused on its benefits for younger children. 
• Much of your support for "traditional uniform" focused on preparing children for secondary school.  
• While the practicality of the "active uniform" was mentioned often in your comments, so was the view that in an active uniform the children can look "scruffy". 

• Your comments highlighted the additional burden of remembering which clothes to wear on given days.  

By having younger children in "active uniform" every day, PE time will not be lost changing and they can engage freely in outdoor play. By having older children in "traditional uniform" every day, they will look smart and begin the transition to secondary school. Changing time for PE will be less, as the older children will only change into PE bottoms and trainers, and by that stage will be more able. As children move to Year 3, their "active uniform" bottoms can be used as PE bottoms. Families will not have the burden of remembering what clothes are to be worn on given days.  

Why has Dunalley switched to white polo shirts instead of yellow? 

Many of you explained yellow shirts do not show dirt as much as white, but there was also a good deal of support in your comments for white polo shirts. In deciding to phase out yellow polo shirts after a 1 year transition period, we've taken into account recent DfE guidance on affordability and availability of school uniform. We've also considered the variation in yellows across brands and safeguarding concerns that our pupils have a consistent uniform that is always the same and can be quickly identified if necessary.  

Why are coloured logoed PE shirts being eliminated? 

We've decided to phase out coloured logoed PE shirts after a 1 year transition period for a number of reasons. These include the additional expense, the focus on not changing tops for PE to increase active PE time and the safeguarding consideration of being able to identify quickly and accurately a Dunalley pupil without having to specifically remember what version of uniform the child was wearing that day. 

Why has Dunalley decided to include black skirts and yellow and white gingham summer dresses for Year 3 to Year 6? 

Your comments outlined that the freedom to wear these items are important to your children. In particular, your comments highlighted that the yellow summer dresses are cool in hot weather. We've also listened to staff concerns about reduced active PE time when changing is required. Recent DfE guidance on school uniform policies focuses on affordability. We noted your comments that brown dresses and skirts are hard to find and more expensive than standard colours 

Balancing these considerations, we have eliminated brown dresses/skirts. Additionally, we have not included black dresses, as wearing these would increase changing time for PE. We recommend that yellow summer dresses are not worn on PE days for the same reason. Yellow summer dresses are only to be worn from September to the October Half Term and in the Summer Term.  

Why has Dunalley added optional forest green logoed fleeces? 

Nearly 75% of you said you'd buy a forest green fleece if this were an optional part of the school uniform. Over 80% of you said that jumpers and fleeces should have the school logo. Fleeces are entirely optional. Ventilation in classrooms is important and means this extra layer may be helpful. 

What should I do if this new uniform puts a financial strain on my family? 

Contact our family support team via [email protected] or by calling 01242 512391. The team has number of ways to help out.