Uniform Policy

Dress Code

Version 2.0

Effective 20th July 2026

Policy Statement

At Caversham Primary School we uphold high expectations of our students, staff and community. This is reflected in the school dress code. Staff promote the dress code in a positive manner and encourage and support all students to comply with uniform requirements. At Caversham Primary School we have established a dress code for all students.

Our school dress code:

• fosters and enhances the public image of the school,

• assists in building a positive school culture and team spirit,

• ensures students are safely and appropriately dressed for specific school activities,encourages equity among students; and

• supports students to value the importance of appropriate presentation.

Parents and students will be informed of the Caversham Primary School dress code at the time of enrolment. Acceptance of enrolment at this school assumes an agreement between the school, the parent/guardian, and the enrolling student, that the student will dress within the guidelines of the school dress code. Any grounds for exemption should be raised and agreement reached at this time. If the dress code is unacceptable, parents have the right to apply for admission to a school where the dress code reflects their preference.

2. Policies Supporting

• School Education Regulations 2000

• Dress Codes for Students in Public Schools Policy

• Dress Codes for Students in Public Schools Procedures

• Caversham PS Positive Behaviour Support, Sun Safe and Extreme Weather Policies

3. Dress Code

a. School Uniform

The Caversham Primary School uniform colours are gold & royal blue. Parents should purchase school uniform items from the Uniform Shop operated by the P&C. Non-school logo items must be gold/royal blue with no additional branding or graphics.

The school uniform consists of:

• School gold polo with current logo

• Faction polo with current logo - gold, red or green

• Royal blue shorts

• Royal blue track pants

• Royal blue skirt or skort

o Students are encouraged to wear royal blue/navy boy leg shorts or similar under their skirt.

• Royal blue zip jacket with current logo

• Royal blue zip jacket, pullover jumper - (with current/without logo)

• Graduation polo with logo (Year 6 students only - optional)

• Graduation jacket with logo (Year 6 students only - optional)

• Graduation hat with logo (Year 6 students only - optional)

• Royal blue school bucket hat –with current logo (reversible in faction colour)

Students are not permitted to wear any of the following:

• Any items of clothing that are not gold/royal blue (faction shirt excepted)

• Any items of clothing that are denim

• Any items of clothing with additional piping, markings, branding logos/graphics

• Puffer vests or jackets

Students are permitted to wear the following:

• Royal blue long sleeved skivvies (undershirts) worn under the school polo or faction polo.

• navy tights, stockings (opaque) or leggings if they are paired with a royal blue skirt, short or skort.

Bike shorts are discouraged because they do not align with the school's agreed uniform style.

Items of clothing with a hood are discouraged.

School bags, with logo are also available but not essential.

All uniform items should be discreetly labelled with the student's name.

Clothing items should be clean, tidy and free of additional markings (i.e. graffiti).

b. Accessories

Students are not permitted to wear any of the following:

• Beanies

• Gloves

• Scarves

• Leg warmers

• Caps

• Earmuffs

c. Hair and Headwear

Hair needs to be neat, tidy and secured away from the face. Hair that is past the collar length of the school polo, needs to be tied up. Students will be provided with a hair elastic or alternative, if required. 

Students are permitted to wear simple hair elastics, ribbons, scrunchies or headbands that are in school colours (yellow or blue) or closely match natural hair colour. 

Ribbons or bows should not be excessive in size.

Students are permitted to wear faction coloured hair elastics, ribbons, scrunchies or headbands when wearing their faction shirt. 

Coloured hair is only permitted for the annual Faction Athletics Carnival and must be applied at home.

Students who are required to wear headwear for religious or cultural purposes are encouraged to wear school (royal blue or gold) or faction colour when wearing faction shirt and do not require an exemption to the dress code.

d. Footwear and Socks

Students must wear appropriate footwear. As students regularly participate in physical activity, joggers or trainers are the most suitable. All footwear must be enclosed. Crocs,

thongs, sandals, Ugg boots/slippers, rubber boots (wellington boots) or slides are not permitted.Footwear must be worn at all times.

i. Kindy and Pre-Primary

Students in Kindy and Pre-Primary are permitted to play without shoes, under teacher direction. On some occasions students may be required to bring alternative footwear e.g.

wellington boots. This is at the instruction of the teacher only.

Socks should be plain in colour and not exceed crew length.

e. Personal Presentation

Students should come to school each day in a neat and presentable manner.

i. Jewellery

Jewellery is restricted to:

• Simple stud (gold or silver) earrings that do not exceed 2mm.

• Simple sleeper (gold or silver) earrings that do not exceed 12mm.

• A watch (smart watches are required to be in aeroplane mode

as per the Student Mobile Phones in Public School Policy).

Examples of items that are not permitted include, but are not limited to:

• Necklaces

• Rings

• Bracelets, bangles or anklets

• Clip on or stick on earrings

An exemption may be applied for should a piece of jewellery be of religious or other

cultural significance.

ii. Makeup

Makeup of any form is not permitted. Examples of makeup include, but are

not limited to:

• Foundation or concealer

• Mascara or eye liner

• Eye shadow

• Blush or bronzer

• Lipstick, lip gloss or tinted lip balm

iii. Nails

For health and safety reasons students are required to have nails that are clean and short.

Nail polish is not permitted. Students are also not permitted to have artificial, acrylic or stick on nails, this includes stick on nail accessories.

Temporary tattoos are not permitted. Students are also not permitted to mark their bodies with writing implements or other materials.

4. Special Events and Occasions

During the course of the school year there may be times students are permitted to wear dress that sits outside the dress code. This may include events such as: Assembly items, Faction Carnivals, Year 6 Graduation/Luncheon, free dress days, Harmony Day or Book Week dress up.

On these occasions students are not permitted to wear:

• Singlets

• Tops or dresses that have spaghetti straps

• Tops or dresses that are strapless

• Clothing with offensive or inappropriate logos, graphics or slogans

• Heels

• Any item of clothing that is revealing of skin ordinarily covered by the school uniform

Students who participate in these events on site will still be required to wear clothing that allows them to participate in everyday school activities (e.g. enclosed shoes for Physical Education).

a. Swimming Lessons

Students attend interm swimming lessons as part of the educational program.

When attending swimming lessons students may:

• Come to school with bathers under their school uniform or,

• Change into bathers before going to the pool

If required, students are permitted to wear to and from the pool:

• Over their bathers:

o non-uniform track pants with a jumper/jacket,

o swimming parka or,

o hooded towel

o dressing gown

• Slip on shoes (e.g. slides, thongs or Crocs)

Some students may be required to wear these items home from school, if they have the last swimming lesson of the day.

b. Sporting Teams and Choir

Sporting teams and Choir may have a different uniform that will be supplied by the school, on

loan, when needed but must be returned to the school after the event.

5. School Dress Advisory Panel

The School Dress Advisory Panel is a sub-group of the School Board. The panel will be made up of at least 3 members, one of who is a school staff member. The panel will be formed on a needs basis through an expression of interest.

6. Exemptions

Exemptions to the school dress code may apply to individuals, or groups of students on the following grounds:

• a matter relating to the student’s health

• religious beliefs of the student or their family

• cultural background of the student or their family

• unavailability of uniform items

• other

To apply for an exemption a parent/carer must put in writing to the Principal:

• the student/s requiring an exemption

• the alteration to the dress code requiring an exemption

• the reason for which the exemption is required

• the length of time the exemption is required for

The Principal may request additional supporting evidence in order to grant an exemption (e.g. medical certificate).

All requests for exemptions will be granted at the Principal’s discretion and be tendered in writing. An exemption form is available from the school website or front office.

Staff will be informed of any student granted a modification to the Dress Code. Provision for temporary exemptions will be made to accommodate new students and the non-availability of components of dress code items, or where there is a significant change to student circumstances.

Should a parent/carer not agree with the Principal’s decision they may arrange a meeting to discuss their concerns further.

Should the matter still not be resolved, it will be referred to the School Dress Advisory Panel.

7. Non-Compliance

The following procedures will be used to address non-compliance with the dress code:

• On the first occasion, if appropriate, a staff member will discuss the dress code in a non-confrontational manner with the student.

• If there continues to be non-compliance parents/carers will be informed via written communication using the school’s preferred communication platform.

• Should the non-compliance continue after written notification, a meeting with the parent/carers will be arranged to address and resolve the non-compliance. Students may attend this meeting if appropriate.

• If a resolution cannot be found, the School Dress Advisory panel will be convened to assist in supporting compliance. Non-compliance with the dress code may result in students being prevented from attending an activity that, in the opinion of the Principal, is not an essential part of the educational program or in which they are representing the school. This may include, but is not limited to:

• Interschool teams including Winter and Summer Carnival teams

• Academic competitions (e.g. Numero)

• Student Leader Conferences

• Year 6 end of year activity

8. Second-hand Uniforms

Items of second-hand uniform stock are managed by the P&C volunteers in the Uniform Shop. Please enquire at the Uniform Shop about availability.

9. Financial Difficulties

Families who are experiencing financial difficulties regarding the purchase of a uniform should contact the school office. All families in this situation are supported to have a uniform.

10. Staff

Staff clothing choices should be appropriate and practical for purpose. It is important for staff to promote the use of sun-safe hats during outdoor activities. CPS staff members are advised to wear appropriate sun protection and safe footwear. Adherence of this recommendation is a key aspect of collective responsibility towards individual well-being and safety. Hats for staff can be provided if cost is a barrier. Staff on active playground duty and when on excursion will wear a high-visibility vest to ensure they are readily identifiable to students and other adults.

11. Review

The Principal, in consultation with the School Board, will update and review the Dress Code on a 5

yearly basis, unless it is deemed necessary to review sooner.