As a parent of two pupils at our local school, Stourfield Infants and Juniors I am deeply concerned about the recent change in uniform policy from polo shirts and sweatshirt style jumper to shirt and tie with a new knitted jumper. This change poses significant challenges for both families, children and the school.

For each child at the school currently, they have pledged to purchase each child (of which there are over 600) a new jumper and tie. This will cost the school approximately £17,000* which could be spent on books, and outdoor play facilities both of which have been recent fundraisers for the PTA. 

Our schools are already underfunded; diverting resources and cost towards implementing this unnecessary uniform change seems counterproductive when those funds could be better used elsewhere within our education system.

In addition to the waste of school money....

• This policy imposes an additional financial burden on parents who are already struggling amidst a cost of living crisis. Locally, many families resort to food banks to feed their children. In 2022 over 33,000 meals were given to children from the Bournemouth Food Bank.  The added expense of purchasing entirely new uniforms - which will easily exceed £100 per child - is simply untenable for many households.

• This decision has serious implications for our environment. Existing uniforms that could have been passed down or reused will now be discarded into landfill sites contributing to waste and environmental degradation. With over 600 children at the school, this is a huge amount of waste that sadly due to logos cannot be donated to charity

• The new policy will impact our children's comfort and freedom of movement due to the restrictive nature of shirts and ties compared with polo shirts. Today’s data shows that 2 in 5 children are leaving primary school overweight and are subsequently at a higher risk of chronic illnesses, mental health issues and even a shorter life span. A uniform that ensures freedom of movement is vital. 

• There is also a huge concern that ties pose a safety risk to young children. The Guardian published an article over 14 years ago following uniform research that suggested only clip on ties should be used in schools (like the police force) because of the safety risks of the potentially "harmful" traditional version.

We urge Gareth Morris, Head of Twynham Learning to reconsider this decision considering its financial impact on the school and parents, its environmental consequences and its effect on student comfort throughout the day. 

Please sign this petition if you believe this policy should be reviewed with parental consultation. 

*based on the current price list for Christchurch Juniors who have just undergone this change (£22 per jumper and £5.50 per tie)