Guidelines for Student Dress 

Thames Valley students come from diverse backgrounds and have diverse identities and experiences. Decisions about dress are personal and reflect individual expression of identity and socio-cultural norms and are therefore important to student well-being.

Dress codes in schools often create and maintain ideas about dress that is ‘normal’ or ‘appropriate’ that do not reflect students’ identities – including their gender identity, cultural identity, race and creed. As a result, dress codes can reinforce harmful stereotypes and treat certain groups of students differently than others, resulting in discrimination. They may also devalue students’ ability to exercise control over their own bodies by choosing how they dress. Thames Valley learning and working environments must be free from discrimination.

All staff must ensure students feel safe and included and are treated fairly at school. This means affirming students’ identities in everyday practice, and supporting interactions between staff and students that are based on individual dignity and mutual respect.