Uniform

The requirements for school uniforms are detailed in our Student Dress Code.

The purpose of the Student Dress Code is to outline Upwey South Primary School’s requirements for student dress and appearance and to provide information about uniform purchase and support, dress code implementation and exemption processes.

This dress code has been developed by Upwey South Primary School’s School Council in close consultation with our school community to ensure that it respects the rights of individual students whilst reflecting the values and interests of our community.

The Student Dress Code aims to:

foster a sense of community and belonging and encourages students to develop pride in
their appearance
support Upwey South Primary School’s commitment to ensuring that our students feel equal
and are dressed safely and appropriately for school activities
reduce student competition on the basis of clothing
enhance the profile and identity of the school and its students within the wider community

The School Council has developed a dress code that provides a range of choices for students and is cost effective for families. Students are expected to comply with this Student Dress Code while traveling to and from school, during school hours, and when attending school activities.

Uniform and Appearance

Uniform items and appearance requirements should meet human rights and anti-discrimination requirements as well as health and safety considerations. Dress codes with gender specific requirements are not necessarily discriminatory under the law, unless one gender is treated less favourably than the other because of the dress code. However, Department policy requires schools and School Councils to develop, as far as practicable, dress code requirements that are similar for both sexes. Where options are available, they should be available
to all students.

Students of Upwey South Primary School are required to wear the school uniform every day, except on specified occasions (refer to further details below). With the school colours of bottle green and gold, our basic uniform consists of:

bottle green polo short and long sleeves with the Upwey South Primary School logo
bottle green bomber jacket and/or bottle green polar fleece zip jacket with the Upwey South Primary School logo
plain bottle green pants (long)
plain bottle green shorts (gabardine and rugby)
plain bottle green culotte and/or skort
green check summer dress
bottle green winter tunic and/or skirt
bottle green SunSmart school hat
bottle green tights or leggings to be worn only under dresses, skirts or skorts (not to be worn as pants)
bottle green waterproof jacket with the Upwey South Primary School logo

Cultural or religious headwear is considered to be part of the ordinary school uniform, to avoid the need for students having to apply for an exemption in order to wear these items.

The full list of Upwey South Primary School’s school uniform items, including SunSmart hats are available at https://klad.au/

Please note that our Student Voice Council recently introduced USPS branded beanies, which are available to purchase directly from our school office. USPS branded beanies are not available through Klad Sport.

Additional items not referenced in the above link are:

school bags - students may choose to purchase a school logo backpack, or bring a backpack of their own choosing which does not contain any racially, sexually, religious, or other discriminatory motifs/slogans
school shoes - these should be closed toe, and may be in the form of runners and/or leather school shoes
socks - students may choose to wear socks which do not contain any racially, sexually, religious, or other discriminatory motifs/slogans
stockings/tights - if students choose to wear these items, they should be bottle green in colour
active wear - is not part of the school uniform, unless being worn as part of a specific school event
sunglasses - students may choose to wear these items during recess breaks. Sunglasses should be close-fitting, wrap-around styles that meet the Australian Standards 1067 and cover as much of the eye area as possible
gloves/ scarves/ beanies - students may choose to wear these items during recess breaks. USPS beanies are only available for purchase directly from the school office
additional winter coats - students may choose to wear these items during recess breaks. Items should not contain any racially, sexually, religious or other discriminatory motifs/slogans
additional windcheaters/ jumpers - personalised windcheaters/jumpers are not to be worn at school
hair ties/hair restraints - students with shoulder length hair are encouraged to maintain personal hygiene and wear hair tied up/back where possible
jewellery - students may wear jewellery which does not present a danger to their own or others’ safety (e.g. earrings, necklaces, bracelets, watches)
cosmetics and hair colour - students are discouraged from wearing facial makeup to school. Students may wear nail polish, students may colour their hair
hats/caps - students should wear a SunSmart hat with the school logo. Personal caps/hats are not an approved SunSmart item, and are not to be worn at school.

Items to support individualised learning

Items which support a student’s individualised learning needs, such as prescription glasses, or mobility aides, are note considered to fall under the student dress code policy. These items may be worn freely to support student learning.

General appearance

While at school, travelling to or from school, or participating in school activities, Upwey South Primary School students should comply with the following:

Uniforms should be clean and in good repair
Uniforms should be clearly marked with the owner’s name
Additional layers of clothing may be worn underneath the uniform for added warmth, provided these undergarments are completely hidden.

Exceptions to the student uniform

There are many sound educational, social, and economic reasons why school uniforms are suggested for students within Department of Education schools. School uniforms add to the tone and spirit of our school. Our students are proud to represent and be identified by our school uniform, both within and beyond our grounds. School uniforms are an economical way that parents can dress their children for school. Uniforms contribute towards preventing unhealthy competition with ‘expensive gear’ and last-minute decisions on ‘what to wear’.

We encourage and expect all students to take pride in their school by wearing the school uniform.

The following exceptions apply to the standard expectations for school uniform:

Year Six Uniform - Year Six students have a separate uniform (bomber jacket and polo shirt). These items are ordered in the preceding year
School event clothing - such as divisional sport jumpers/shirts, production t-shirts may be worn to school as an acceptable part of the school uniform
Individual student birthdays - It is your birthday! A student may wear 'suitable casual clothing' (shoulders must be covered) to school on their birthday. This is a great way for our community members to know about and acknowledge your special day. If your birthday falls on a weekend, or a school holiday, you may choose to wear casual clothing on the school day directly before, or following, your birthday
Student Council Special Events - With an active Student Council, our students often partake in fundraising across our community. Some of these events may include a 'special themed' dress-up day. These are communicated to families through our school newsletter
Religious or Cultural Beliefs - Some students may partake in certain cultural or religious celebrations, which require them to wear an alternative to the regular school uniform. If this is the case, please speak with the School Principal
School Camp (overnight) - Students are not required to wear school uniform when on overnight camps. A suitable clothing list will be provided to families
Sporting events - in which the school may provide students with a specific sports uniform, or detail that students may wear appropriate items for the particular event
Extenuating Family Circumstances - Occasionally something happens within a family which impacts upon a student’s opportunity to wear their full school uniform. If this is the case, please speak with the School Principal and we will arrange for your child to be provided with a second-hand uniform in the interim.

During all excursions, students are expected to wear full school uniform.

Seeking Exemptions to the Student Dress Code

We recognise that there may be situations where the application of this dress code may affect
students unequally. Students and their parents or carers may apply either in writing or in person to the Principal for an exemption to this Student Dress Code if:

an aspect of this code prevents the student from complying with a requirement of their religious, ethnic or cultural beliefs or background
the student has a particular disability or health condition that requires a departure from the dress code
the student or their parents/carers can demonstrate particular economic hardship that prevents them from complying with the dress code.

For further details on seeking exemptions, refer to our 'Student Dress Code'.

Purchase of Uniforms

In-person purchases of new uniform items: All school uniform items are available from the Uniform Shop, Klad which is located Unit 4, 409 Princes Hwy (service rd) Noble Park. Current hours of operation are Monday - Thursday 8:30am - 5:00pm, Friday closed Saturday 10.00am-2.00pm. Please check the following link to confirm operating hours before visiting: https://klad.au/
Online purchases of new uniform items: Alternatively, you can order online or through the school office. If you select this option, your order will be delivered to the school office for collection. For information visit:
https://klad.au/

Second-hand uniforms

Upwey South Primary School operates an on-site second-hand uniform shop staffed by parent volunteers. This is located opposite the School Office. All items are $2.00 or $5.00 (an item list is located on-site).

The second-hand uniform shop is open every Tuesday afternoon from 3:15pm-3:45pm. Items may be paid for via EFTPOS or cash.

Support for families experiencing difficulty

Please contact 9757 0200 or email upwey.south.ps@education.vic.gov.au to discuss support that we may be able to provide to families experiencing difficulty meeting uniform costs, including information about eligibility for uniform support through State Schools’ Relief.

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