Dress Code 2023/2024

Smart Casual​

Heckmondwike Grammar School is a busy professional working and learning environment. Students are expected to dress appropriately and professionally and be sensitive to the broad range of people that they may come into contact with each day. The school community is culturally diverse and includes children as young as eleven, together with adults and visitors. In such a situation, it is a duty incumbent on all concerned to dress sensitively, sensibly and in such a way as not to cause offence or distraction to any member of the community.

The way we dress is a form of non-verbal communication, and it is well-known that non-verbal communication can convey attitudes and meaning just as effectively as the spoken or written word. As a consequence, almost all organisations have dress codes. This dress code will clarify what is acceptable dress for Sixth Formers at Heckmondwike Grammar School.

​​Additional Guidance:​

  • Students must wear their ID badge, on a school lanyard, at all times when on the school site. This is to allow for easy identification of students and to ensure the safety of the whole school community.
  • Students should avoid wearing revealing clothes. This includes tops with a low-cut neckline, strappy vests that leave the shoulders uncovered and tops that expose the midriff when standing and seated. Tight-fitting and see-through clothes must not be worn.
  • Students must not wear ripped jeans, ripped and patched jeans or other torn clothing.
  • When wearing skirts, the length of the skirt should maintain dignity at all times, including when seated.
  • Sports clothing such as sports shirts, tracksuits and jogging bottoms are not considered suitable for a working environment.
  • Leggings should be a plain muted block colourwith small and subtle branding. Bright or patterned sports leggings should not be worn.
  • Trousers should be full-length and should be worn so that underwear cannot be seen. In the summer months, students are permitted to wear tailored shorts or cropped trousers but these must be of an appropriate style, length and material. Sports shorts and beachwear are not acceptable.
  • Slogans which could offend anyone are not acceptable on any form of clothing or accessories.
  • Hats and hoodie hoods should not be worn indoors as they can make identification of students difficult.
  • Footwear must be appropriate for the school environment where corridors can be busy and crowded, floors may become slippery and there are many flights of steps. For this reason, flip- flops and stilettoes are considered unsafe and should not be worn.
  • As the school is a busy environment, large amounts of face or body jewellery are not permitted for safety reasons.
  • Hair styles must reflect the professional nature of the school environment and as such unnatural hair colours and shaved patterns in hair should be avoided. Students considering any extreme alteration to their hairstyle are advised to seek guidance from the Head of Sixth Form before going ahead.
  • Headphones and AirPods interfere with situational awareness and make it difficult to engage with others. Headphones and Airpods must not be worn on the school site.

These guidelines aim to provide some guidance as to the sort of clothing that is expected. We ask that students take a common sense approach to what they wear for school, at all times remembering the phrase ‘professional working environment’. The school reserves the right to send students home to change if they do not meet our expectations. The final decision on what is acceptable lies with the Assistant Headteacher (Post 16).

Non-acceptable Dress: