At St Bernard’s, we believe that wearing a school uniform contributes to children’s sense of identity and belonging, bringing our community closer together. Setting high standards for pupils in all aspects of school life, we ask that all children look smart and wear their uniforms with pride.

The details of our school uniform are listed below. Please remember to label each item of clothing with your child’s name, so that any lost items can be reclaimed. 

Why is a school uniform important?
 

1. Cohesion and Equality

School uniforms mean that all children wear the same clothing, helping to level out the playing field. This removes any preconceived ideas about what to wear, allowing for greater group cohesion and commonality. As a result, uniforms demonstrate a clear message of equality. 

2. Group Identity

Seeing their peers wearing the same uniform as them also encourages children to develop a stronger concept of group identity. As such, school uniforms allow children to feel part of something bigger than themselves. This, in turn, helps children recognise the value of working together towards a common goal rather than focusing on their individual objectives. 

3. Increased Safety

School uniforms help staff identify who is a student and who isn’t, even from a distance. This makes it easier for them to keep students safe and away from unauthorised areas. Likewise, staff and children can soon identify anyone on the school grounds without a uniform as an outsider or possible intruder by their lack of uniform. 

Increased safety is also a reason why school uniforms are good for school trips as well as on-site learning. Children wearing school uniforms are easier to spot and keep track of among large crowds, making the chance of a child wandering off without a teacher noticing far less likely. 

4. Dress Code Equality

When schools allow children to wear their own clothes to attend school, this creates the need for a long list of unacceptable clothing variations that staff must check for every day. 

5. Reduced Potential for Bullying

One of the biggest advantages of wearing school uniforms is how it can cut down on this kind of bullying.

While wearing a school uniform creates a sense of community and equality, allowing children to choose their own school clothes can create divisions and highlight disparities. Unfortunately, a child’s clothing choices can offer school bullies more motives to make fun of them, talk about them with other children, or even hurt them in a physical way. 

School uniforms help to reduce the chance for this by making everyone wear the same clothes. Students also have to wear the same uniform every day. This means that socioeconomic differences between students won’t be as obvious as they might be if a child were to wear the same non-uniform clothes every day. 

6. Streamlined Morning Preparation

School uniforms are a godsend for parents trying to get their children ready for school. 

Mornings can be chaotic enough without the added pressure of choosing or double-checking your child’s wardrobe choices for a day at school. In contrast, when your children wear school uniforms, there is no chance of forcing your child to change out of their unsuitable clothes or waiting for them as they pick out an outfit. 

7. Safe and Practical

Allowing children free rein over their school clothing choices can also create issues with health and safety, while their choices might not be the most practical for the weather either. 

School uniforms make sure that children dress appropriately, in clothes suited to a day of learning. A simple school uniform avoids any chance of them tripping over their must-have baggy jeans, dipping long sleeves in their art project, or freezing in the playground in inappropriate clothes for the season. 

8. Less Distracting Learning Environment

Looking at what other children are wearing or worrying about what they’re wearing can be a big distraction for children. And when fashion trends and keeping up with their peers in the style stakes becomes more of a priority than paying attention in class, a child’s progress could easily suffer. 

By removing fashion as a distraction, school uniforms help keep children focused on their work. 

9. Dress for Professional Success

School uniforms encourage children to learn the importance of dressing for success and are thought to contribute in a positive way to their attitude and behaviour in school.