Dear Parents and Carers,
We hope everyone has been enjoying the weekend. Once again, I would like to ask for your support as we continue to strive to return uniform to the highest standards at Noadswood. Thank you for all you have done and for what many students have done too, to move things forward a great deal already. As you know, this push comes from our commitment to our students being ready, safe in all they do and full of pride in their professional uniform when they come to school.
Up until May half term, so for the next fortnight, we intend to 'focus on footwear'. As per our uniform policy – “Permitted shoes must be completely black, including the soles, logo, laces and trim. Shoes should be in a leather type finish, not canvas/plimsoll material.”
After half term, I will also be leading us in to a new system that recognises those young people who consistently get uniform right, wearing it with pride and care, whilst also allowing us to support those students who currently are struggling to maintain the highest standards.
How will this new system work?
Students will enter school through three separate gates:
- ‘KS3 Fast Track’ gate – for all Yr 7-9 pupils in correct uniform (near tennis courts on Water Lane)
- ‘KS4 Fast Track’ gate – for all Yr 10-11 pupils in correct uniform (main entrance on the corner of Water Lane)
- ‘Ready to Learn’ gate – for all students who need support reaching our uniform expectations (Redwood House entrance)
If a student arrives at their identified Fast Track gate in correct uniform, they will be allowed to enter the school site and praised for wearing their uniform with pride – it will also be lovely for us to up the meeting and greeting of our students to welcome them for the school day generally.
If someone is not wearing 100% perfect uniform, they will be redirected to the Ready to Learn gate by duty colleagues. These Fast Track gates will then be locked at 8:45am when registration starts.
If a student does not meet our uniform expectations, or is late, they will be redirected to the Ready to Learn gate, where they will be supported by members of the Senior Leadership and Pastoral Team to be ready for the day. We will be loaning out any items of uniform that the students are missing and asking them to remove any prohibited items, and get ready for the day with us. This won’t be a place for conflict first thing in the morning, just a place to get things resolved before the day begins.
We have been working hard with families from the lower socioeconomic groups over the past few months to provide all of their uniform if necessary. We want to make sure that anyone who is unable to purchase various items are provided for, this separates out the pupils who are choosing to flaunt the system from those who simply cannot afford to follow the rules. This is fundamental in our entire school ethos and we will continue to work extremely hard to ensure that is the case. If you require financial support please do not hesitate to send an email to finance@noadswood.hants.sch.uk and we will be happy to help.
If you drop your child off at school, we ask that you drop them off outside the school gates, after which, if necessary, you can still drive through site as normal using our one-way system. The only exception to this rule will be for our physically/mentally disabled students who will be checked by their Support staff on arrival as usual; if any individual arrangements have been made previously with these students for drop offs/pick ups they will of course still be honoured.
To refresh yourself on our uniform policy you can read it in full using the following link: Uniform and Equipment | Noadswood school
In addition, I would like to draw your early attention to the slight alterations we have made to the previous version of the uniform policy that start officially after half term with the new system and they are:
- Where a student has a piercing not in line with the school policy, they will be expected to remove it or wear a small clear plastic retainer (This has been in operation to good effect in recent weeks).
- Permitted shoes must be completely black, including the soles, logo, laces and trim. Shoes should be in a leather type finish, not canvas/plimsoll material. After lengthy consultation with students and parents, we have changed the wording to permit a logo if it is also in black. What shoe retailers now constitute as a ‘school shoe’ has changed immeasurably in the past decade, this addition reflects the shifting trend in schools across the New Forest.
- Socks must be a plain black matching pair, to be worn below the knee. Tights must be plain in black with no patterns.
- Coats can of course be worn on top of the school blazer or school jumper. No denim jackets, leather coats or sport jumpers / hoodies are permitted. In the past, Noadswood has always allowed zipped hoodies to be worn as a coat replacement - this has led to many a debate about hoodie types, so, moving forward, in the name of clarity all hoodies will not be allowed.
I understand that you may feel that your child(ren) will feel some worry/concern about specific parts of this – if this is the case, we want to help, so please contact your child’s tutor, year leader team or myself. My email address is:
drowling@noadswood.hants.sch.uk
The last thing we want is someone to arrive on Monday 6th June and feel a surge in pressure about any of this – let’s work together to resolve questions up ahead, as people have been doing already.
If you would like to ask questions in person or provide any feedback, Mr Hewitt, Deputy Headteacher, and I would like to invite you to one of two events that we will be running on aspects of Noadswood ethos, including uniform, and our curriculum intent - the first will be on site at Noadswood on Wednesday 18th May 6:00pm, and the second will be on Wednesday 25th May in the community at St Anne’s Neighbourhood Centre (details about the venue and time to be confirmed). We will also make a recording of our presentations and pop a link onto the website so that you can listen to them at a time more convenient to yourself, providing a form for your questions there, too.
Thank you once again for your continued support on this and all aspects of Noadswood life,
Yours sincerely
Mr D Rowling
Assistant Headteacher