School Uniform

Dromore High School

School Uniform Policy Sept 2026

Rationale and Aims

This Uniform Policy has been developed in accordance with the School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Act (Northern Ireland) 2026 and the Department of Education’s statutory School Uniforms Guidelines issued in February 2026. The Board of Governors recognises its legal duty to ensure that uniform requirements are affordable, practical and inclusive, and that they do not impose unfair financial burdens on pupils and their families. In line with statutory requirements, the policy has been informed through consultation with pupils, parents and the wider school community, and will be subject to regular review and transparent publication. Due regard has been given to equality and human rights obligations, alongside the need to ensure comfort, suitability for school activities and accessibility for all pupils, including those with additional needs. The school is committed to minimising the use of branded items, maximising value for money, and ensuring that uniform requirements support participation, wellbeing and inclusion for every pupil. The policy is designed to ensure that all pupils, parents and carers understand what is expected and accepted by the School in terms of uniform and appearance, to outline the steps that the School will take to ensure compliance with the policy and to make clear the roles and responsibilities of all members of the school community in ensuring that the highest standards are upheld in respect of uniform and appearance.

At Dromore we believe that a school uniform fosters a sense of identity, community, and pride. It promotes equality by removing competition over clothing and supports discipline while ensuring students are easily identifiable for safety and safeguarding purposes. Our uniform is designed to be practical, comfortable, flexible, and safe, aligning with our core values including equity, integrity, belonging and caring.

The headteacher is responsible for:

• Enforcing the school’s uniform on a day-to-day basis.

• Ensuring that teachers understand this policy and what to do if a pupil is in

breach of the policy.

• Listening to the opinions and wishes of the school community in regard to

the school’s uniform and making appropriate recommendations to the

governing board.

• Providing pupils with an exemption letter as appropriate, e.g. for a pupil

who has a broken arm and requires a loose-fitting top.

Staff members are responsible for:

• Ensuring that pupils dress in accordance with this policy at all times.

• Disciplining pupils who are in breach of this policy.

• Ensuring that pupils understand why having a consistent and practical

school uniform is important, e.g. school identity.

Parents are responsible for:

• Providing their children with the correct school uniform as detailed in this

• Informing the headteacher if their child requires a more relaxed uniform

policy for a period, including why.

• Ensuring that their child’s uniform is clean, presentable and the correct size.

Pupils are responsible for:

• Always wearing the correct uniform, unless the headteacher has

granted an exemption.

• Looking after their uniform as appropriate.

• Understanding and respecting why a school uniform is important to the

school, e.g. school identity and community.

Uniform Consultation, Items and Cost

Students, staff and parents have been consulted on our school uniform policy and requirements. It is important to ensure that the uniform meets the practical needs of learning, positive behaviour and engagement in lessons, while supporting health and safety and affordability for parents

The school is committed to ensuring that its school uniform is affordable and accessible to all pupils and does not place an unreasonable financial burden on parents.

The headteacher will ensure that the school’s uniform policy does not discourage parents from applying for a place for their child.

The school will assess the overall cost implications of its uniform policy regularly,

Branding

The school keeps branded uniform items to a minimal level that is reasonable for

all members of the school community. The school defines a branded uniform item

as any item of clothing that cannot be purchased at a range of retailers, including

by virtue of logos, colours, design and fabrics. Where the school decides to require

an item of branded clothing, it will conduct an assessment to ensure prices are

kept as low as possible.

The school is committed to meeting the DE’s requirements on costs and value

for money. Every care is taken to ensure that our uniforms are affordable for all

current and prospective pupils, and that the best value for money is secured

through reputable suppliers.

The school will take the views of parents and pupils into account when considering any changes to school uniforms.

Equality Principles

The school will work to ensure that school uniform’s cost does not

disproportionately affect any pupils by ensuring that uniforms for all genders are

as equal in price as possible and by adhering to the cost principles laid out later

in this document.

The school will ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND and/or sensory difficulties are considered in the uniform policy, however, where the needs of these pupils cannot be met in the standard uniform policy, individual adaptations to the uniform will be considered and permitted wherever possible. This is assessed on a case-by-case basis, and parents should contact the school if amendments are necessary.

Uniform assistance:

The school works closely with Via Wings to maintain a pre-loved stock of Dromore High School uniforms. Uniforms can be dropped off at Via Wings or at the school office where it be delivered to Via Wings. Via Wings is open daily and secondhand uniform can and viewed and purchased from there. Pre-loved uniform should be in good condition, and it would be appreciated if it could be returned to school or Via Wings washed and ready for re-sale.

Financial support towards uniform costs is available from the Education Authority (EA). All parents/carers seeking to apply for this are required to apply on-line via the EA website.

https://www.eani.org.uk/financial-help/free-school-meals-uniform-grants

The allowance is open to parents/carers whose child/children attend a school in Northern Ireland and who may receive one of the following benefits:

• Income Support;

• Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance;

• Income Related Employment and Support Allowance;

• Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit;

• Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit with an annual taxable household income of£16,190 or less;

• Universal Credit with net household earnings not exceeding £14,000 per year; or where a parent/guardian is an   Asylum Seeker supported by the Home Office Asylum Support Assessment Team (ASAT).

Where serious issues of affordability have been identified for individual families, financial support may also be accessed very discretely from local charities.

Non-compliance:

Staff members are permitted to discipline pupils for breaching this policy, in accordance with the school’s Behaviour Policy and parents are expected to be supportive of the rules and regulations with regards to uniform.

Details pertaining to hair, make-up, jewellery and shoes are available in the Rules section of our documentation.

Costings:

Below are listed the details of our school uniform costings, (accurate at the time of publication and minus special offers) and a list of approved and potential suppliers.

We have three key suppliers: McCalls in Lisburn, Smalls in Dromore and S D Kells in Banbridge. In the table these will be referred to as a ‘School Supplier’. Other retailers such as Marks and Spencer, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s or those of an on-line nature will be referred to as ‘Any Other Retailer’.

The School Shop sells the mandatory elements of the PE kit: the branded tops and shorts/skort/socks and tracksuit bottoms.

*To provide a non-branded generic option students are allowed to swap some items of the uniform. The unisex light blue polo shirt may be worn instead of the Kukri polo shirt and the unisex navy shorts may be worn instead of the Kukri shorts or skort. Navy socks may be worn instead of the Kukri hooped socks.

Girls may wear either the approved navy/blue stripe socks or black tights.

If representing the school in team sports, full Dromore High kit must be worn.  No pupil will be prevented from representing the school due to the affordability of mandatory uniform.

The PE/Games Kit Requirement at Dromore High School are explained below:

1. Rationale for PE/Games Kit Requirement

At Dromore High, we have carefully considered the uniform requirements for

Physical Education (PE) and games activities in consultation with parents, pupils, and staff. PE kit is currently sold via the non-profit making School Shop. Due to stock levels no major changes, aside from the addition of generic non-branded items, have been made to the PE kit this year 2026/27. A review will take place beginning September 26.

We have a requirement for a branded PE kit for students representing the school in competitive sports and team events. The branded kit serves the following purposes:

School Identity and Pride: A branded PE kit fosters a sense of belonging and pride when

students represent the school in competitions. It creates a unified look and promotes school identity when students participate in external events.

Recognition: During competitive matches or team events, a branded kit ensures that

Students are easily recognisable as part of Dromore High School. This is important for coaches, spectators, and for fostering a sense of teamwork.

Consistency: A branded kit maintains a consistent and professional appearance, enhancing the school’s reputation during inter-school events or regional competitions.

2. Consultation with Parents and Pupils

The decision to keep a mainly branded PE kit was made after consultation with parents and pupils. The school conducted surveys and held meetings to gather feedback on the proposed PE kit policy. The key feedback and considerations were:

Parent Concerns: Some parents expressed concerns about the additional cost of branded kits. In response, the school has taken measures to ensure affordability (detailed below) and introduced alternatives, such as a loan system for families who require financial assistance and subsidized costings.

Student Preferences: Students voiced a desire to have a sense of pride and unity when

representing the school in sports, which aligned with the decision to have a branded kit for competitive events.

In order to facilitate these views as well as the necessity to be financially competitive we have maintained our branded kit but added a plain blue polo and plain navy short (available from a range of retailers) as an alternative to a polo shirt, shorts or skorts. It should be noted however that if playing rugby appropriate shorts and a rugby top would be necessary as a normal polo shirt and football type shorts would be easily damaged.

4. Arrangements for Accessing Branded PE Kit

Recognising that branded PE kit may pose a financial burden for some families, Dromore High School has implemented several measures to ensure equitable access:

Loan System for Branded Kit: The school has introduced a PE Kit Loan Scheme, whereby

students selected to represent the school in sports competitions who cannot afford the branded kit can borrow or hire it from the school. This ensures that no student is excluded from representing the school due to financial constraints.

Second-Hand Kit Availability: Branded PE kits are also available through the school’s

link with Via Wings where families can donate gently used kit. Students can access these items at a much-reduced rate, ensuring affordability for all.

5. Commitment to Affordability

The school remains committed to keeping uniform costs manageable. For branded items, the school has negotiated with multiple suppliers to ensure competitive pricing and has monitored costs to avoid significant price increases.

6. Review and Ongoing Feedback

The PE kit policy will be reviewed annually, considering further feedback from parents, students, and staff. The school will continue to assess the affordability and accessibility of both generic and branded kits to ensure that all students can participate in sports activities without financial hardship.

In summary, the branded PE kit requirement at Dromore High is in place for

competitive events to enhance school identity, pride, and recognition. Measures like a loan system and second-hand kit availability ensure affordability and inclusivity, so that all students can enjoy and access sports.

7. Conclusion

This policy will be reviewed on a yearly basis to ensure compliance with all legislation. Should you have any issues or feedback please contact the school and we will be happy to discuss this with you. Throughout the 26/27 School Year there will be additional consultation taking place within school and with key stakeholders to maximise the use of student voice develop a uniform fit for purpose in the 21^st Century.

(Draft)

PE Uniform

PE form – order form and info sheet for parents (1)