What is changing – and why

The government has confirmed that new national rules on school uniform become legal requirements from September 2026. These rules are designed to make uniforms more affordable by limiting how many branded items schools can require and by increasing choice for families.

Over recent months, we consulted widely with parents and with our PTFA. Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond. Your views were clear, thoughtful and helpful, and they have directly shaped our final decisions.

What we heard from parents

Parents told us they value:

• Affordability and flexibility
• Keeping popular, practical items
• Simple PE kit
• Protecting second‑hand uniform and sustainability

We have made changes that reflect this feedback while also fully meeting new government requirements on cost.

Our uniform expectations for September 2026

School day uniform

• Fielding blue round‑neck branded sweatshirt – this remains and is our main branded item - or a Fielding blue branded cardigan.
• Polo shirt choice:
  • Either a plain white, unbranded polo shirt from any retailer of your choice
  • Or a Fielding blue branded polo shirt (optional)
• Grey trousers, shorts, skirt or pinafore – unbranded and available from any shop.
• Gingham style blue and white summer dress remains - unbranded and available from any retailer of your choice

Outdoor wear

• The Fielding blue branded fleece stays. This was the strongest message from the consultation, and we are pleased to keep it as an optional item.
• The fleece may be worn over polo shirts, our sweatshirt or cardigan and removed when inside the school.

PE kit

• We will keep PE uniform simple and consistent for all pupils, with:
  • A Fielding blue cotton PE T‑shirt as the second branded item
  • Simple, black, unbranded PE bottoms
• This avoids technical fabrics, supports comfort and sensory needs, and keeps PE kit affordable and easy to replace.

Meeting government rules on cost

The government now requires schools to keep branded items to a minimum and to prioritise affordability for families. Under our new approach:

• Most items can be bought from any retailer
• Only two branded items are expected
• Second‑hand uniform remains an important and supported option

This keeps Fielding well within national expectations and reflects what parents told us matters most.

Uniform supplier

We will be running a formal tender process for our uniform supplier. More details will be shared later, once this process is complete.

Thank you again for your engagement and thoughtful feedback. We believe this updated uniform strikes the right balance between school identity, comfort, affordability and fairness for all families.

Peter Dunmall