The move is a ‘commitment to creating a progressive learning environment’ and a response to community opinion
Two of the school’s pupils demonstrate the new all-weather jackets complete with logo(Image: ALT)
New pupils arriving at a Derby secondary school will no longer have to wear a blazer, shirt and tie after a switch in uniform policy.
The change at Alvaston Moor Academy, which comes into force from this September, has been adopted in response to a consultation with pupils, staff and parents.
From the start of the 2026/27 academic year, students enrolling in Year Seven will wear a polo shirt and all-weather jacket with the academy logo. It is thought the new uniform will provide students with more practical, comfortable and versatile clothing.
The school says that the jacket can be used both in school and for general use and it also better suits the needs of pupils with sensory needs.
It is a move the schools says creates a progressive learning environment and that best reflects the hybrid working world and changing professional dress code.
Principal Gemma Tyers said: “We’re consistently looking for ways to better our school environment for all our students and foster a place where children are comfortable, engaged and ready to learn.
“We pride ourselves on creating a community that extends further than the classroom, so consulting students and their parents on how we can support them is a key part of our school ethos and approach.
“We’ve listened to what they had to say and taken action – all while continuing to support inclusion and retaining our school identity.
“Our new uniform is more accessible, more affordable, inclusive, and multi-purpose, and most importantly reflects what our students want and need from their school experience. We anticipate these changes will boost attendance, engagement and achievement for students across the board.
While the uniform will be compulsory for students starting in Year Seven, students heading into Year Eight and upwards will be given the option to switch to the new all-weather jacket and polo shirt, but purchasing the items will not be mandatory.
James Higham, chief executive at Archway Learning Trust, which oversees the Alvaston school, added: “We are a values-led trust, and collaboration is at the heart of all we do, and proactively engaging with our parent and student body to make positive changes embodies our values and has a real impact on outcomes for our children.
“Alvaston Moor Academy’s new uniform places learning and community at the heart of its approach. It removes barriers to learning and helps create a safe space for students to truly thrive.”
For a large number of years, schools across Derby and Derbyshire were happy to have a dress code – usually consisting of a polo shirt and not a specific uniform.
But with the growth of academies from around 2006, increasing numbers of schools adopted formal uniforms comprising a blazer, shirts and ties, which they believed created more equality among pupils, including Alvaston Moor Academy’ when it was previously Merrill Academy.
Various studies over the past two decades have failed to demonstrate that wearing school uniforms leads to improved performance, behavioural problems or attendance. A study by David L. Brunsma, of the University of Alabama, and Kerry A. Rockquemore, of the University of Notre Dame, added: “In fact, a negative effect of uniforms on student academic achievement was found.”
And increasingly, parents have struggled to afford formal uniforms, leading to a growth in people buying donated clothing cheaply.
