Secondary School Uniform Guidance

Students in all years from 7 to 13 must wear uniform designed specifically for DBS - this can be purchased from Zaks in the Green Community (see the school website for an up-to-date uniform list). In particular, please note that all students, including those in year 12 and 13, must wear trousers that have been purchased from ZAKS as this ensures consistency of standards. Girls wearing skirts should ensure they are worn between 5 and 30cm below the knee.

Shoes should be of a formal style, black in colour; not training shoes or other casual wear. The regulations concerning shoes are meant to be straightforward but inevitably there has been some uncertainty in the past. In order to clarify the regulations further, photographs have been included of those types of shoe that fit the regulations and those that do not. Suitable shoes for boys are shown below.

The shoes shown below are for casual wear and are well outside the regulations and should be replaced prior to the new term in September.

Girls are expected to wear plain white socks. They may be ankle socks or small sport socks. These must be worn with girls black leather shoes of the styles recommended below.

The ballet type shoes shown below are well outside the regulations and should be replaced immediately: they offer no support, quickly become scruffy and can be dangerous when using stairs around the school as they often also lack grip.

If you need further clarification please see your child’s Key Stage Leader, so that expensive mistakes are avoided.

No jewellery, except for a watch and one small stud earring in each ear lobe for girls only, may be worn to school. Boys may wear a simple stud in one ear only. No other piercings are permitted. Visible tattoos are forbidden.

Make-up and nail polish may not be worn in school in Years 7-11. Only Sixth Form girls are permitted to wear make-up and nail polish which must be discreet and understated and appropriate for a business environment.

Hairstyles should not exceed those that meet with normal social acceptance, neither excessively long nor short (no shorter than a number 3 barber cut). Long hair must be tied back. Students’ hair must be of a natural colour rather than bright, obvious or ‘unnatural’. Hairstyling products can be used to style hair in a neat and tidy manner providing it is presentable and acceptable for a place of work. It is the schools decision on what constitutes appropriate.

Boys are expected to be clean shaven, unless there are extenuating circumstances; these should be brought to the attention of your child’s Key Stage Leader.