Uniform and Appearance

Uniform and Appearance

We believe it is vital we encourage all our students to wear our uniform with pride. We do this because:

• it is a visible sign of our school identity
• it promotes safety: we need to know you are part of BSCA
• students gain a sense of belonging to the school community as equals
• we look smart when taking pride in our appearance
• it provides the self-discipline needed in life when young people go out into the world of work.

September 2024

Each year group has a different colour striped tie, they will keep the same tie colour for their journey throughout BSCA until they leave:

• Year 7 - Yellow - given a tie on their first day
• Year 8 - Red
• Year 9 - Blue
• Year 10 - Green
• Year 11 - Silver

 All student mandatory items of uniform

Boys additional mandatory items of uniform                 

Black tailored trousers        

Black or grey socks                         

Girls additional mandatory items of uniform

Black tailored trousers

or knee length pleated skirt with plain black opaque tights

Other school rules

• Earrings are limited to one pair of plain studs in earlobes only.
• No other jewellery, including rings or facial piercings.
• No makeup, including false eyelashes, nail varnish and false nails.
• Hair should be appropriately styled.
• Hair should be one natural colour only, with no extreme or unnatural shades.

Please support your child to comply with this policy. Non-compliance will result in a breach of the behaviour policy.

Uniform Support & Consequences

Issue	Action
Incorrect footwear	Academy shoes will be loaned. Financial support is available if needed. Refusal to wear academy shoes will result in time in Reflection.
Wearing a coat indoors	Coats must be removed before entering the building. Pupils will be politely reminded to remove their coats. Refusal/Continued refusal will result in the coat being confiscated and returned at the end of the day.
False lashes/jewellery	Items will be removed and stored safely. Returned to pupils at the end of the day.
Missing tie/blazer	School will loan replacements in exchange for a personal item, which will be returned at the end of the day.

If a pupil does not meet uniform or appearance expectations, a 15-minute lunchtime correction will be issued. If a pupil refuses to comply, they will be placed in Reflection until the matter is resolved.

If there are any circumstances preventing your child from wearing full uniform you MUST advise us via a written note as soon as possible. We wish to see all students in full uniform. We are able to consider assistance in cases of genuine hardship.

PE Kit

All students PE kit

Branded blue top with logo

Branded black bottoms with logo

Branded black leggings with logo

Trainers

 Footwear

  

Where to buy

Uniforms and PE kits

Stockists of BSCA branded items:

• Whittakers Schoolwear on Deansgate in Bolton town centre -

https://www.whittakersschoolwear.co.uk/product-category/bolton/bolton-st-catherine-academy/

• Smart Schoolwear at Bolton Market Complex –

https://www.smartschoolwear.co.uk/schools/secondary-school/bolton-st-catherine-s-academy.html

Examples of places to buy white shirt, trousers and skirts:

• Supermarkets.
• Other retail outlets that stock uniform.

Footwear

Footwear can be bought from any shoe shop. Please keep to the school rules: plain black shoes, just because a retail shop say it is a school shoe it doesn’t necessarily mean that it complies with our plain black shoe policy.

 Examples of places to buy:

• Little Wanderers - https://www.littlewanderers.co.uk/. Store on Tonge Moor Road.
• Whittakers the Shoemakers on Deansgate in Bolton town centre.
• Wynsors - https://www.wynsors.com/. Store on Blackburn Road.
• Clarks - https://www.clarks.co.uk/school-shoes. Stores in town and at Middlebrook.
• Matalan - https://www.matalan.co.uk/kids-clothing/school-uniform/school-shoes/girls. Local store on Tonge Moor Road.
• M&S - https://www.marksandspencer.com/l/kids/school-uniform/. Stores in town and at Middlebrook.

Need help with school uniform?

Bolton Council provide help towards the cost of school uniforms and sports kit if you meet the two criteria below:

1. Your child is in:

• Year 7 or
• Year 9

2. You receive any of the benefits below :

• Income Support
• Income based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income related Employment Support Allowance
• support under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Guaranteed Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit - as long as your letter shows you have an income of less than £16,190 and do not get Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit - your earned income must be less than £7,400 a year

Applying for help with school uniform

• if you already receive housing benefit or council tax support, your help towards school uniform will be given automatically and you don’t need to apply
• if you have already applied for free school meals, we will look at the help with school uniform at the same time and you don’t need to apply separately
• if you don't receive housing benefit or council tax support, you need to apply for help with school uniform

Click here to apply - https://www.bolton.gov.uk/free-school-meals-clothing-allowance/free-school-meals-help-school-uniform/2

 

BSCA can support individual requests for assistance. Please contact your child's Head of Year.