We do not have a School uniform, and we do not generally restrict students’ choice of clothes. However, smart, clean, comfortable and practical dress is expected, and students and parents are advised that clothing should always be suitable for the workplace.

School is a place of work and education, and safety is paramount. Students should ensure that they are dressed sensibly and in a way that will not increase the risk of injury to themselves or others.

Shoes worn should consider the large site and amount of walking needed, alongside the large number of stairs in the School. Additionally, sandals and open shoes such as ‘sliders’ are inappropriate for practical lessons such as Science and Technology subjects when working in a laboratory or workshop. It is therefore important that students are aware of when they will have these lessons and ensure that they are dressed accordingly, or they will be asked to change or may not be able to participate in practical activities.

Many subjects have a manual or practical element, so clothing should be safe for all activities. For example, wearing flammable fabrics or clothing that could get caught in equipment is not advised. Please note also that, for health and safety reasons, fingernails must be kept short at all times.

The fashion of wearing very low-cut or low-slung jeans and trousers which expose midriffs and/or underwear is out of place in the School working environment, as are cropped tops. Students should wear tops that cover their shoulders, midriff and their underwear. Students should not wear tops with thin shoulder straps. Equally, very short shorts/skorts/skirts or low-cut tops are not acceptable. Caps and hats must not be worn indoors and hoods on jackets should not be raised anywhere on the School premises. Any clothing specific to prayer and worship of any faith should not be worn at School. To safeguard staff, students and other stakeholders, and for staff to be able to teach and communicate effectively, the niqab or any other face covering should not be worn on the School premises or in the School buildings. Clothes which carry graffiti or logos which may give offence, or which are deliberately cut or torn, should not be worn.

Students who wear inappropriate clothing will be asked to change what they wear for the following day. In some cases, where the clothing is unacceptably immodest or offensive, students will be issued with an alternative plain T-shirt or jogging bottoms to be worn for the remainder of the day. Where students persist in wearing inappropriate clothes, the School will contact parents, as we must consider this as a refusal to co-operate with a reasonable request, which may give rise to a disciplinary issue. Beyond this guidance, we do not generally restrict the choice of clothes that students may wear. The School enjoys a very high degree of co-operation from its students and the parent community, which makes these arrangements successful. For PE, it is essential, for reasons of hygiene, that all students change into their PE kit and appropriate footwear to take part in these lessons. There is an official King Edward VII School PE kit consisting of a red sweatshirt, red T-shirt and blue or black shorts. The PE department publishes a guide to appropriate sportswear and helps students obtain the necessary clothing. The wearing of jewellery, earrings and studs (of any material) is also not permitted during other sporting or physical activities such as out-of-hours clubs or competitive fixtures. This includes body piercings such as tongue studs and belly button jewellery.

Click here for more information on the PE kit