Okehampton College Uniform 

Our new uniform will be live in September 2024.  All students will be expected to wear this uniform from the first day of term, 3rd September 2024.  We have been working closely with our suppliers to source and produce a comfortable and cost-effective uniform in response to the 70% of stakeholders who indicated that a change of uniform was needed.
 
The new uniform items are:
  • Plain white polo shirt (non-branded)
  • Branded college V-neck sweatshirt with new badge
  • A choice of dark grey trousers, shorts or a Skort matching the existing skirt design (dark grey, pleated with blue check).  Existing uniform skirts can be worn until the need to purchase new.
  
The new uniform will be stocked by our suppliers, School Wear Direct in Okehampton and Thomas Moore in Exeter from May Half Term ready for purchase for September.  Our suppliers have indicated the following approximate prices for September 2024 and other than the jumper and skort, all other items can be purchased at a range of retailers to offer family choice.

  • Branded college V-neck sweatshirt with badge - £20
  • Skort  - £30
  • Shorts - £16
  • Trousers - £18
  • Polo shirt - £5
 
 
Alongside the items listed above:
  • Shoes must be 100% black.  Any laces must be black.
  • Plain black socks or black/tan tights are preferred (NO white socks).
  • Sensible waterproof outdoor coats are strongly recommended.
  • Hoodies and non-uniform jumpers are not to be worn.
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​Jewellery​
The only jewellery permitted is:
  1. One pair of small plain ear studs.
  2. One small plain nose stud (NO rings).  
No other piercings are permitted.   No other facial piercings are permitted.
If students attend with piercings or wearing jewellery that does not meet the criteria above, the items will be confiscated.

Hair​
  • Hair should be of it's natural colour.
Students not adhering to this rule will be required to change it as soon as possible and may be taken out of circulation during social time until it is resolved.
 
 
Uniform Exchange
In line with the College uniform exchange, as part of supporting students to have the correct uniform for the day ahead, we will hold some new jumpers in stock for September 2024. Further to this, if families would like financial support for purchasing the new jumper please contact your student’s Head of Year whereby support will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
 
Recycling Scheme
To recycle any old uniform School Wear Direct will accept items at their store in Okehampton. (52, Northfield Road Industrial Estate, Okehampton EX20 1BQ).  Regardless of their condition, usable or at the end of their life, the clothing will go to third world countries where they are recycled and manufactured into a new product.
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Our current Okehampton College PE kit has also been under review. We have gratefully received feedback from students, parents and staff regarding suggestions for how we might adapt our PE kit policy. Our intentions are always to ensure maximum participation in PE, which of course means students need to feel comfortable with the PE kit we offer. We also want to ensure it is inclusive and accessible to all, to ensure that participation in physical activity can be most beneficial to confidence and well-being of our young people.  

Please be rest assured that if you have a child who is already in attendance at the college and is comfortable wearing the existing PE kit, then this is still our preference for students to wear, and will remain on sale at our regular suppliers (Thomas Moore, Exeter and School Wear Direct, Okehampton).  

Our aim is simply to provide further flexibility around PE kit to ensure it is accessible to all, and to ensure that the focus can be on participation and comfort in PE lessons. We are also mindful of cost as a result of parent feedback. The only compulsory, branded item is the Polo Shirt, all other items may be plain to keep them as affordable as possible. To ensure student comfort, they are allowed and encouraged to wear a coat for outdoor PE lessons.

As a guide please see the chart below:

Please note, as of September 2024 only our Year 11 students should be in our “old” plain blue polo shirt.
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As part of our whole college policy, PE Hoodies are no longer part of our PE kit and have not been for some time. As of September 2024 only our Year 11 students may wear a hoody for PE.
 
You may wish to consider purchasing other items such as long navy or navy and gold football socks as these can be useful to keep legs warmer in colder weather, and also assist with the comfort of wearing shin pads in hockey/football. We always advise that students change their socks for PE for comfort, but these are not compulsory items. A gum shield and shin pads are also advisable for students at KS3 to ensure they are able to participate in the full range of activities including hockey, rugby and football.

Please be advised that you do not need to purchase any particular brand or colour of sports shoe, this is at your discretion, but again we would recommend a sports trainer as opposed to a skate shoe or converse to ensure that your child receives maximum comfort and support when exercising.

For those who may not be acclimatised to the Okehampton Weather, we would also highly recommend ensuring your child has plenty of warm layers to ensure they are comfortable when outside participating in PE during the cold and wet weather we often experience. Our aim in adapting our PE kit policy is to offer more flexibility and choice for your child which can suit a range of different needs and budgets.

Please be advised that this kit is to be worn as PE kit only, and will not be for use across the college as a coat, and will not be acceptable in place of the new Okehampton College sweatshirt or the white polo which should be worn in other lessons across the college. This navy top and black bottoms will be for use in PE only.

The rules surrounding jewellery and hair remain the same as these rules are part of national health and safety rules for PE. These state that long hair should be tied back for PE and that all jewellery (including piercings should be removable).
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If you do have any further questions, queries or suggestions please do not hesitate to get in touch by emailing:
​ [email protected]

Okehampton College PE Kit - in detail can be seen by clicking the button below: