Delay the introduction of school uniform at Avanti Park School

As parents, we are asking Avanti Trust to delay the introduction of school uniform until September 2021 for the following reasons:

1. Avanti clearly stated, in writing in the curriculum review, to parents that they would not introduce uniform until Septemeber 2021. There has been no parent consultation over this early introduction. 

2. We are in the middle of a global pandemic. Many schools have held off on uniforms as they have insisted on clean clothes every day. It is much harder to keep uniform clean unless many duplicate items are purchased. We are concerned this increases the Covid risk at the school. 

3. Many parents will have already spent money on winter clothes for their children and despite a free jumper, asking parents to buy new clothes at an already expensive time of year in this economic uncertainty is unnecessary. 

3. As parents, we dispute the claims about 'dressed for success', feeling 'pride' and 'reducing the scope for competitive clothing'. We would like to see the evidence for this as our experiences do not match these claims. 

4. Introducing another change in an already disruptive, upsetting, and worrying time for children could cause more unnecessary anxiety and upset. 

5. The 'colour' grey has many negative connotations for both parents and children, and further moves the community away from a cheerful, colourful disposition which we as parents are proud of and don't want to lose. 

6.  Year 7 ought to be treated on equal footing with the rest of Secondary School, who are exempt from wearing uniforms.

Rose Hiron-Grimes, Holly Class parent    Contact the author of the petition