School Uniform, Jewellery, Make-Up and Hairstyles Expectations for 2026-27

Higham Lane School is first and foremost, a place of learning. We have a proud tradition and our distinctive uniform is part of that.  A uniform not only promotes a sense of belonging and pride; a uniform can be used to foster a great school spirit, to be a leveller within society where everyone feels included and belongs because of the shared identity a uniform brings. 

We appreciate that cost of uniform and equipment is a challenge for families therefore, following government statutory guidance, we have a limit of four branded items:

Our four compulsory branded items:

Uniform

• Higham Lane School Blazer
• Higham Lane School Tie

PE Kit Girls:

• Red/black polo shirt with HLS logo
• Red/black half zip with HLS logo

PE Kit Boys:

• Red & black polo shirt with HLS logo
• Reversible rugby top

All other items of uniform are either optional or non branded.

Uniform Suppliers

Our uniform can be purchased from:

• Certain non-branded items are available from other high street retailers
• Second-hand uniform in good condition is available from Student Services at Higham Lane School

Students are expected to wear the full uniform, including blazer, in the School and on their way to and from School. If students fail to do this appropriate sanctions will be applied.

1. Uniform

Uniform – PLEASE MARK EVERY ITEM WITH YOUR CHILD’S FULL NAME Students must wear full uniform in school and on their way to and from school.

a. Blazers

Required: All students must wear the official branded school blazer in school and on their way to and from school. Sleeves must be worn at the full length; they must not be rolled up or pulled up.

b. Coats

Required: A plain, full-length black coat or anorak, covering the top of trousers/skirts.

Unacceptable items include: Coats of any other colours; leather or leather-look jackets or coats; hoodies; tracksuit tops; fleeces; sweatshirts; jackets; denim jackets; coats containing large wording any other leisurewear.

c. Shirts/Blouses and Ties

Required: Plain red shirt or blouse tucked in please. Higham Lane branded tie only; top button done up on shirt, please.

d. Sweatshirt and Sweater

Optional: Official branded Higham Lane plain, black, V-necked sweatshirt or sweater with embroidered Higham Lane School logo. Unacceptable items include: any other sweater, sweatshirt, jumper or cardigan.

e. Trousers/Skirts

Students may choose to wear either trousers or a skirt as part of the School uniform.

Required: Plain black, polyester trousers in good condition, not fraying. They should be tailored and suitable for business wear. Unacceptable items include: cords, cotton or denim, lycra or flares. Trousers that are skin -tight and also limit the ability to tuck shirts in.

Required: Skirt: Either the official branded plain black pleated HLS skirt with school logo. Or: a plain, black, pleated skirt with no logo that is of an appropriate length - that sits just on or above the knee and is not rolled up or worn high above the knee. 

f. Belts

Optional: Plain black belt only. Unacceptable items include: belts of other colours; large buckles and patterned belts.

g. Socks/Tights

Required: Plain black or grey socks only should be worn with trousers. Plain black opaque or flesh coloured tights or plain black ankle socks should be worn with the skirt. No socks with lace trims, knee high length or frills are allowed.

h. Shoes and Boots

Required: Flat-heeled, plain, smart black leather or leather-look formal shoes. Plain, smart, ankle-height, black leather or leather-look formal boots. Shoes and boots should be worn with trousers covering ankles and have only black laces. Boots cannot be worn with skirts.

Unacceptable items include:  trainers - this includes plain black training shoes that look like shoes. Training shoes tend to have a sports logo and/or brand on them such as Adidas, Nike, Puma etc. They also have a rubber sports sole. These types of shoes are not acceptable. Leisure trainers and/or casual shoes such as Vans and Converse are also not acceptable. High-heels, shoes with coloured sections. Suede shoes or boots. Pumps. Canvas shoes or boots. Boots above ankle-height, particularly military-style, construction worker-type, Dr Martens etc. Coloured or multi-coloured laces.

i. Hats

Required: Hats should not be worn on the school site unless we have very cold or very sunny weather. No hats should be worn inside the school buildings.

j. Scarves

Optional: Scarves should not be worn inside the school buildings.

2. Make-up

Years 7 and 8 are not allowed to wear make-up. Years 9, 10 and 11 can wear a discrete amount, but may be asked to remove excessive amounts. Eyeliner flicks, false eye lashes, coloured nail varnish and/ or false nails are also not allowed.

3. Jewellery

No jewellery other than a watch, school badges and one, small, plain ear stud per ear may be worn. Other piercings such as spacers, lobes, forward helix and industrial piercings are not allowed. The School decision on this is final. If a student is unsure about the suitability of a piercing, they should check with their Progress Leader before having it done. The wearing of jewellery in PE is not allowed for health and safety reasons. PLEASE NOTE: necklaces and jewellery should not be worn.

PLEASE NOTE: it is not an acceptable excuse for a student to ask to wear unapproved jewellery to prevent a pierced ear or nose from closing up. Covering piercings with a plaster or other item is not acceptable.

4. Hairstyles

Long hair should be tidy, should not cover the eyes and should be tied up for health and safety reasons during certain lessons such as PE, Science and Technology. Hair slides/bands/scrunchies should be plain in colour and design.

No other hair accessories such as bandannas, flower garlands or flowers are allowed. Parents/carers should not allow their children to have hairstyles that break the rules during term time.

Please save experimentation to the summer holiday. Not acceptable: Colouring that stands out and is obviously different from the student’s natural hair colour (eg pink, blue, green, red etc.); tramlines; shaved areas that leave hair at different lengths; hair shaped into patterns. Please bear in mind that hair dyes take several days to wash out and tramlines take several days to grow back.

5. Tattoos

Students are not allowed to have tattoos.

Thank you for your assistance in supporting smart appearance in Higham Lane students. I hope you will agree these are simple, straight-forward expectations. By encouraging your child to follow these rules, we can all focus on teaching and learning and achievement, not waste time phoning you about the colour of a coat or hairstyle. You have agreed to send your son/daughter to this school. Adhering to our dress code is essential. Inappropriate items will be confiscated from students, where appropriate and students will face further sanctions if they refuse to comply with these rules.

6. PE Kit

The PE kit available from our two current uniform suppliers- The Schoolwear Centre and Matchfit Kit. The kit can also be viewed on the school website

PE Kit

Girls (compulsory)

• Training shoes, clean and appropriate for indoor use
• Red/black shorts with HLS logo or without HLS logo
• Red/black polo shirt with HLS logo
• Red/black sports socks with HLS lettering or plain black sports socks
• Red/black half zip with HLS logo

Optional

• Plain, black track suit bottoms
• Red baselayer
• Higham Lane sports leggings with logo (no other leggings are allowed)

Boys (compulsory)

• Training shoes, clean and appropriate for indoor use
• Football boots
• Red/black polo shirt with HLS logo
• Red/black shorts with HLS logo or without HLS logo
• Reversible rugby top
• Red/Black sports socks with HLS lettering or plain black sports sock

Optional

• Plain, black track suit bottoms
• Red/black half zip top with HLS logo
• Red baselayer

(We would recommend all of the above optional items as a lot of the lessons are outside).

Please mark every item with your child’s full name. All students are expected to have the compulsory items for the first PE lesson.

All students are expected to have the compulsory items for the first PE lesson.
 

Thank you for your assistance in supporting smart appearance in Higham Lane School students. The overwhelming majority of our students meet these expectations and look extremely smart every day. We hope you will agree that these are simple, straight-forward expectations. By encouraging your child to follow these rules, we can all focus on teaching and learning, student wellbeing and achievement.

 

Thank you, in anticipation, for your support.