WBCA Uniform GuidanceA Guide to Back to School Shopping

WBCA Uniform and Footwear Guidance

Our uniform policy is simple yet strict

• Black blazer with academy badge

• White shirt

• Black academy tie

• Black trousers or skirt

• Black shoes

Our Uniform Expectations in More DetailCompulsory items

• Black blazer with Academy logo and Academy House tie, purchased from CC Uniforms

• Plain white shirt (long or short sleeves) – tucked in with top button fastened

• Smart black trousers – (no jeans, jeggings, jean-style trousers or leggings) OR a plain black knee or ankle length skirt

• Plain black or white socks

• Black shoes (plain black, polishable leather-type shoes

• A bag large enough to hold an A4 folder

Optional items

• Plain black V-neck jumper or long-sleeved cardigan. This can only be worn underneath blazer and not replace it

• Head scarves or salwar kameez, if worn, should be plain black.

• A sensible, waterproof coat, when required

Further guidance

• Blazers are to be worn at all times (unless permission is granted by a member of staff to remove them)

• A maximum of one small stud per ear is permitted (maximum 5mm diameter)

• No earrings should be worn in PE lessons

• One nose stud may be worn. Multiple studs and nose rings are not allowed. Nose stud must be removed for PE lessons

• No other facial piercings

Prohibited items:

• Hats and caps are not allowed to be worn at any time

• No hoodies or sport jackets

• Nail extensions, false nails and/or brightly coloured nail varnish

• No extreme haircuts (e.g. bright unnatural colours, patterns in hair)

Shoes We expect students to wear shoes that are:

• Black, leather-type and polishable – not canvas, fabric or suede. This means they will be waterproof to keep feet warm and dry

• Smart – suitable for an office environment or job interview

• Put simply, we expect students to wear something on their feet that looks like a shoe and not a trainer.

• We would like to make shopping for school shoes as easy as possible for you by providing some examples.

• Please note: This is not an exhaustive list as we cannot include every pair of shoes that are available.

Ideal Shoes for Girls

These are suitable because: • They are all black and polishable • They are smart shoes and do not look like trainers. They could all be worn to a job interview or formal eventA different coloured sole is fine as long as the shoe is still smart and formal

Examples of Footwear - Not Permitted

These are not allowed because: • Some of them look more like trainers than shoes (flat sole, no heel)• One pair is not polishable • Several pairs have thick, chunky soles that are not smart and professional looking

Examples of Suitable Footwear (Boys)

These are suitable because: • They are all black and polishable • They are smart shoes and do not look like trainers. They could all be worn to a job interview or formal eventA different coloured sole is fine as long as the shoe is still smart and formal

More Examples of Suitable Boys’ Shoes

These are suitable because: • They are all black and polishable • They are smart shoes and do not look like trainers. • A different coloured sole is fine as long as the shoe is still smart and formal

Although these may be found in the ‘Back to School’ sections in shops, they are not permitted at WBCA.Any type of Converse, Vans or similar styles

Any type of trainer or sports brand (Adidas, Nike, Puma, Reebok, Lacoste etc

Although these may be found in the ‘Back to School’ sections in shops, they are not permitted at WBCA.Any type of Converse, Vans or similar styles

Any type of trainer or leisure shoe

These are Next ‘school shoes’ but are not smart enough to meet our requirements

These look more like trainers than shoes, due to the cut of the material around the toe. We ask that students do not wear these.

PE KitThe WBCA PE kit consists of:

• WBCA PE top

• Black shorts or black jogging bottoms

• Black socks

• Trainers

• There are no restrictions on the type of trainers that can be worn for PE lessons, apart from they should be trainers and not football or rugby boots (no studs).

• We recommend not bringing very expensive trainers for PE as they may get dirty or scuffed.

Last Words…..

• Please use your professional judgement and ask yourself ‘Does it look like a shoe or a trainer?’ before buying.

• If in doubt, send a photo to the WBCA Facebook inbox and we’ll give a quick yes or no.

• Please ask if you’re unsure, rather than following advice from shops and brands, as many items in the ‘Back to School’ section are trainers and do not follow our Uniform Policy.

• This guidance is not intended to be patronising in any way – we want to support families to follow our simple uniform policy and appreciate that shopping for back to school is a stressful process!