Across our website you will find key information, however, to help our new starters the key aspects are below, including some answers to Frequently Asked Questions we have had this summer!

Uniform:

• All trousers, skirts, and shorts must be plain black, with no logos or coloured patterns. Leggings are absolutely NOT allowed.
• All footwear must be suitable for a full day of movement around school, and must also be plain black with no added colour.
• Plain black trainers are allowed, but not with coloured strips/ticks/laces etc!
• Dr Marten’s style shoes are absolutely fine, but not the boots please.
• Pupils must wear school blazer and tie at all times, unless previously agreed by the Headteacher, for example if extremely warm weather.
• Please do not buy *short* stretchy tube skirts.

From September, we will be allowing SMART TAILORED BLACK SHORTS as part of our uniform during the summer months. There are however, very clear stipulations around the types of shorts allowed.

Summer months will include SEPTEMBER and from Easter to the Summer holidays.

NOT ALLOWED: any form of sports, athletics, or tight shorts. Pupils wearing these will be sent to the uniform store to change into trousers, or will remain in the removal room until correct uniform is brought in.

These need to be very specifically school shorts – with examples of these below – please note – the larger (secondary) sizes are selling out quickly at a number of retailers.

• School Uniform Shop (£17/19) – these sell by waist size and are in stock up to larger sizes!
• School Uniform Shop – All Shorts
• Marks & Spencer (£8 – £12)
• Next GIrls Shorts (£11-£13)
• Asda Girls Skorts £5
• Next Boys Shorts (£11-14)
• Matalan (£11)

Jewellery/accessories

• A single stud or hoop in ears, single nose stud (NOT nose ring) is ALL that is permitted. Bracelets of any type and large ‘creole’ earrings that are currently the trend (back from the 1980’s) are NOT allowed and will be confiscated immediately when seen – to be collected by parents.
• Nails must be SHORT and NEUTRAL. longer than 5mm above the fingertips and pupils will be asked to remove them.
• Eyelashes must be sensible and not excessive. Exceptionally obvious and excessive eyelashes will be asked to be removed immediately.

PE Kit

• Please ensure that PE kit is either our Birley branded kit (particularly if representing school in competitions etc) or plain NAVY or plain BLACK only. PE Kit should not be light blue, grey, yellow, bright blue or any other colour.

Equipment

Please ensure that your child comes to school every day with the following items:

From September, we are making a small update to the list of equipment required for all students.

Each morning during form time, students will be checked to ensure they are fully prepared for the school day with the following items:

• Two pens

• Two pencils

• One ruler

• One scientific calculator (example here)

We also recommend that students carry:

• An alternative colour pen

• A highlighter

Paying for Lunches

• If your child is on free school meals, this will transfer across from primary and you don’t need to do anything to update this.
• We use an app called School Gateway for pupils to purchase snacks and meals. This is downloadable on the app stores for both Android and Apple.
• Pupils eligible for FSM should still have parental set up for school gateway incase they wish to purchase additional snacks at break or lunch however.
• You will not be able to set up School Gateway until the first Thursday in September. This is because it links to our Pupil Information System – and pupils are fully on-roll once they start on the 3rd September 2025. It then syncs with School Gateway overnight and you will be able to add funds on for your child.
• Please note: on their first day your child will of course be able to have snacks and lunch – these will be added to your childs kitchen account, and when you first top up, this will be take off your initial funds (for example if your child spends £3:40 on their first day, then you add £10 on the following day – the £3.40 will be deducted immediately from this).
• Please ensure you keep your child’s Gateway account topped up regularly, as we will not be allowing pupil accounts to go into deficit, and will request that parents send their children in with packed lunches if there is a deficit on the account of £10 or more.

Behaviour Logging

• We use a system called Class Charts for all recording of positive and negative behaviours, including detentions. This also records attendance and ‘spending’ of reward points.
• You can download an app called ‘Class Charts Parent’ from the Android and Apple app stores. This is free. You will be emailed the code to log in to this. Please ensure your email address registered with us is correct!
• On your child’s first day they will be given a code for them to log in to their own version of the app – ‘Class Charts Student’.

Return to School – September 2025

• Y7 will return on Wednesday 3rd September 2025.
• Pupils need to be in school by 8:20am.
• Pupils will go straight up to the MUGA for line-up (they’ve all practiced this) and be greeted by form tutors.

Regular worries & FAQ

• Will the bigger kids pick on them? No, we find the exact opposite – they are looked after by our older pupils, particularly Y10 and Y11
• Will they get time for lunch? Yes, but they will have to queue! We never run out of food, but we do limit the amount of ‘unhealthy’ snacks that we sell so these do sell out (chicken dippers/pizza/sausage rolls).
• What if they don’t like the food? The menu is posted every week in the Sway – our Newsletter for parents – on a Sunday evening. You will be able to review food choices with your child and if there is nothing they like at all, please send them with a packed lunch. If they have specific allergies, please get in touch as we can ensure we pre-order for children with allergies (medical evidence required).
• How do I know if they’ve got a detention? This will show up on your Class Charts app.
• Who do I speak to in school if I’m worried about anything? Your first port of call is your child’s form tutor. There are also a range of pastoral staff and leaders whose emails are all available on our website. Please allow 48 hours for replies as almost all of our form tutors also teach full time too!

Please get in touch with us if there is any further information you require!