Student dress code policy consultation: parent/carer factsheet
What You Need to Know
Stawell Primary School council is reviewing its school student dress code and we want to know what you think.
Our student dress code sets the expectations of how our students present themselves to each other and the public. School uniforms can promote belonging, support student safety and allow students to look and feel good at school. However, there are different views about how to make school dress codes affordable, inclusive and practical. This includes deciding if the school will have a student uniform and if so, whether wearing it will be mandatory or optional.
Why are we consulting parents/carers?
School council regularly reviews the student dress code policy to ensure that it follows the rules in the Department of Education’s Student Dress Code policy. As part of this process, school council is seeking input from parents/carers, teachers, students and other members of the school community. Your feedback helps ensure that our student dress code policy is affordable, reflective of the school community and practical.
What can you expect from the consultation process?
Opportunity to have your say: You will be invited to share your views by email.
Clear time frames: You will be given 2 weeks to have your say.
Transparency: We will let you know how your feedback has been considered in the decision-making process.
Student voice: We will actively seek and consider student views alongside the views of parents, carers, staff and other members of the school community.
Topics for consultation
Parent/carers will be asked about the following aspects of the student dress code policy:
- Purpose: the reason for having a student dress code OR the reason for not having a dress code.
- Affordability: ways to keep the cost of uniforms at an accessible level for the school community.
- Fairness: ensuring schools apply their student dress code policy in a way that is fair to all students.
- Transition periods: if uniform changes occur, making sure that students will be able to continue wearing existing items as your school transitions to any new uniform items.
- Support for families: ensuring schools provide relevant uniform items to support families experiencing hardship.
Who makes the final decision?
- School council is responsible for setting and reviewing the school’s student dress code policy. School council is also responsible for deciding on supply arrangements for the student uniform.
- Feedback from you will assist the school council in these tasks.
- The Department of Education’s Student Dress Code policy provides direction and guidance to school councils to help them develop and review their local student dress code.
- If a student dress code policy is developed or updated, it will be communicated via the school’s website and newsletter.
Raising concerns about student dress code policies and uniforms
If you have concerns about your school’s student dress code policy you can:
- provide feedback through the school’s student dress code consultation process
raise concerns in accordance with the process set out in the Complaints policy. Which can be found on our website.