Clothing and uniform

The uniform for St Stephen's children comprises:  

Grey Skirt /pinafore/trousers

Blue Shirt 

School tie

Grey jersey / cardigan

Blue school polo shirt (to be worn during PE lessons only)

Grey school sweatshirt 

All black, navy or grey footwear

Children attending schools within West Dunbartonshire Council are strongly encouraged to wear a school uniform.  Our contact with parents in recent years has also made us aware that the vast majority are in favour of uniform.  The wearing of school uniform helps promote the identity of the school in the local community and helps create an ethos of sharing and pride in the school.

Most people tend to form opinions about a school by the appearance and behaviour of the children.  West Dunbartonshire Council supports the wearing of the uniform in all of its schools because it:

-                      improves school security by making it easier to identify intruders;

-                      builds a sense of identity and belonging to the school;

-                      gives pupils an equality of appearance thereby discouraging competition;

-                      is cheaper to buy than other clothing which pupils may wish to wear; - encourages school discipline and a work ethic amongst pupils.

The school ensures that no pupil is discriminated against on the grounds of race or gender.

The forms of dress which are unacceptable in school are items of clothing which:

-                      potentially encourage faction (such as football colours);

-                      could cause offence (such as anti-religious symbolism or political slogans);

-                      could cause health and safety difficulties, such as loose fitting clothing, sportswear made of flammable material, and body piercings/jewellery for PE and sport; Silicone sports earrings are permitted during PE lessons.

-                      could cause damage to flooring;

-                      carry advertising, particularly for alcohol or tobacco;

-                      could be used to inflict damage on other pupils or to be used by others to do so;

-                      are valuable or expensive items of clothing or jewellery which presents a security issue for the school.

You are eligible for a clothing grant only if you receive:

•                     Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit

•                     Working Tax Credit with a gross annual income of £16,860.

Clothing Grants will not be paid for children of school leaving age, that is who will be 16 years old between 1 March and 30 September, until they return to school in the new session. However, you should include these children on your application.

The Clothing Grant is currently £150.00 per child.  Please use the link below to check eligibility and to apply:

https://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/school-and-educational-grants/free-school-mealsand-clothing-grant/

Parents / carers are asked to ensure that valuable items and unnecessarily expensive articles of clothing are not brought to school. Parents should note that the council does not carry insurance to cover the loss of such items and any claims submitted are likely to be met only where the council can be shown to have been negligent.