Uniform Policy

It is a requirement of all students attending Goroka Grammar School to correctly wear their uniform.

1. Overview

Aude Aliquid Dignum – Dare to do something worthwhile.

At Goroka Grammar School, our uniform is a symbol of school identity and pride. It reflects our values and commitment to excellence, respect and unity across our culturally diverse student body. The uniform is an integral part of our student culture and must be worn correctly and consistently.

This policy is founded on the school’s five core values:

• Unity in Diversity
• Academic Excellence
• Respect
• Leadership
• Community Involvement

Wearing the correct uniform not only supports a disciplined learning environment, it ensures that our students represent the school with dignity and professionalism at all times.

Compliance with the Uniform Policy is a condition of enrolment.

2. Definitions

• ELC: Early Learning Centre (Daycare, Kindergarten, Preparatory).
• Formal uniform: the standard dress code worn generally on Monday–Thursday.
• PE/sports uniform: athletic uniform worn on Fridays or timetabled PE days.
• Senior garments: special commemorative jumpers or polos for Year 12 students.
• Boarder: a student residing in school dormitories.
• Day student: a student residing at home.

3. Roles and responsibilities

3.1 Students

• Wear the full and correct school uniform daily.
• Maintain personal grooming to the school standard.
• Wear the uniform respectfully on campus and while commuting.
• Carry ID cards or badges when issued.

3.2 Parents and guardians

• Ensure students are dressed in the correct uniform.
• Replace damaged or outgrown items promptly.
• Notify the school in writing if uniform items are temporarily unavailable.

3.3 Teachers and staff

• Conduct daily uniform checks.
• Issue uniform slips to students who are dressed incorrectly.
• Report uniform breaches to relevant section heads or the Dean of Discipline.

3.4 Administration

• Maintain the uniform policy.
• Communicate expectations clearly at enrolment and orientation.
• Monitor overall implementation and review the policy annually.

4. Policy and implementation

4.1 General requirements

• Uniform must be worn properly on school grounds, while travelling to and from school, and during school-approved activities (excursions, camps, sport, tours).
• Shirts must be completely tucked in, shirts and blouses completely buttoned with no sleeves rolled up, ties correctly knotted, socks pulled up, and shoes clean.
• Students can only wear school-issued hats for outdoor activities.
• Students must not wear the tracksuit jacket with the formal uniform (Grades 9–12), and tracksuit trousers cannot be worn with the formal shirt. Only ELC students are able to wear tracksuit trousers every day of the week.
• All clothing must be clearly labelled on the inside with the student’s name.
• No additions or alterations are to be made to alter the physical appearance of the uniforms.
• Senior garments (for example, Year 12 commemorative jumpers) are permitted when approved.

4.2 ELC uniform (Daycare–Preparatory)

• Monday–Wednesday and Friday: ELC uniform, a yellow polo with black shorts or tracksuit trousers.
• Thursday: PE/sports uniform, a house colour shirt with black shorts, sports shorts or tracksuit trousers.
• Comfortable, clean joggers with Velcro closure are recommended.
• Hats must be worn for outdoor play.

4.3 Junior School uniform (Grades 1–5)

• Monday–Thursday: formal uniform with school tie. Light blue formal shirt or blouse, a black skort for female students and black long trousers for male students.
• Friday or PE day: PE/sports uniform, a house colour shirt with black shorts, sports shorts or tracksuit trousers.
• White socks and black polishable shoes or plain black trainers for formal days.
• Sports shoes on PE days.

4.4 Middle School uniform (Grades 6–8)

• Monday–Thursday: formal uniform with school tie. Light blue formal shirt or blouse, a black skort for female students and black long trousers for male students.
• Friday or PE day: PE/sports uniform, a house colour shirt with black shorts, sports shorts or tracksuit trousers.
• Strict adherence to neat appearance and grooming.

4.5 Senior School uniform (Grades 9–12)

• Monday–Thursday: formal uniform with school tie, and a blazer or school-issued sweater (required year-round). White formal shirt or blouse, a black and blue plaid skirt for female students and black long trousers for male students.
• Friday or PE day: PE/sports uniform, a house colour shirt with black shorts, sports shorts or tracksuit trousers.
• Tracksuit jackets are not permitted with the formal uniform (Monday to Thursday).

4.6 PE/sports uniform (all grades)

• To be worn only on PE days or Fridays (except for ELC students).
• Clean joggers and white socks.
• School sports shirt or house colour shirt and navy blue sports shorts.
• School tracksuit pants and tracksuit jacket are permitted during cold weather.

4.7 Cold weather uniform and thermals

• Only school-issued sweaters or blazers may be worn visibly (Grades 9–12).
• Only school-issued sweaters or tracksuit jackets may be worn visibly (Daycare to Grade 8).
• Plain white singlets or vests may be worn under the uniform if they are not visible. No T-shirts should be worn under uniform shirts.

4.8 Hair, jewellery, makeup and nails

• Hair must be neat, clean, natural in colour and off the face. For male students, the longest a cut can be is a 3.
• No extreme hairstyles or excessive hair products, including extensions, for any students from Daycare to Grade 12.
• Girls: one pair of small stud earrings only.
• Boys: no jewellery permitted.
• No makeup or nail polish allowed.
• Fingernails must be short and clean, with no nail polish.
• Watches can be worn.

4.9 Footwear and socks

• Formal days: black polishable lace-up shoes.
• PE days: sports shoes only.
• White socks are required for all students (Daycare–Grade 12).
• No coloured laces, designs or logos.

4.10 Headwear

• Only school-issued hats are allowed outdoors.
• No beanies, caps, scarves or fashion accessories.

4.11 School bags

• All students are required to use plain school bags with no profanity or advertising of prohibited items such as alcohol companies, cigarettes and so on.
• Only school bags and lunch carriers are permitted on excursions.

4.12 Free dress days

• Clothing must be modest and respectful.
• No offensive graphics, ripped clothing or inappropriate slogans.
• Covered footwear is required.
• Girls: dresses and skirts must be knee length or longer.
• Boys: no singlets, thongs or slides.

4.13 Excursions, camps and special events

• The uniform type for these events will be specified in writing.
• Formal uniform is required for academic excursions.
• Sports uniform is required for physical or active excursions.
• The school hat must be worn outdoors during all events.

4.14 Uniform retail and supply point

• Uniforms must be purchased from the Primary Campus Admin Office.
• Open Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00–4:00 pm (term time).
• Open daily during school holidays from 10:00 am–2:00 pm.
• No second-hand uniform options are currently available.

5. Uniform breach procedure

5.1 Secondary Campus (Grades 7–12)

1. First offence: uniform slip.
2. Second offence: community service.
3. Third and further offences: sent home to change immediately.

5.2 Primary Campus (Daycare–Grade 6)

1. First offence: uniform slip.
2. Second offence: detention and uniform slip.
3. Third and further offences: sent home at the end of the school day with a letter informing parents and guardians that the student cannot return until they comply with the uniform policy.

6. Exceptions and accommodations

• No religious or cultural uniform exemptions are currently permitted.
• Financial hardship cases must be submitted in writing.
• Temporary exemptions may be granted at the discretion of the Director of Operations but must be requested in writing.
• No formal appeals process is available.

7. Monitoring and review

This policy will be reviewed bi-annually by the Senior Executive Team, in consultation with section heads and school leadership.

8. Appendices

Appendix A: Uniform breach letter template

TODO(content): the source policy lists a uniform breach letter template here, but the page is blank.

Appendix B: Visual uniform guide

The policy’s visual guide shows each uniform with a list of its items. The formal uniform must be worn with the school necktie.

ELC formal uniform (Daycare to Prep), Monday–Thursday

• Formal black shoes
• White socks
• Yellow polo (with a black collar and the school crest)
• Black shorts or tracksuit (navy tracksuit trousers with a yellow side stripe)
• Sweater (black V-neck with the school crest) or tracksuit jacket (navy and yellow)

Sports uniform, Friday or any PE day

• Sport shoes
• White socks
• House colour shirt (shown in red, with the school crest)
• Sports shorts (navy) or tracksuit trousers
• Tracksuit jacket or sweater

Junior and Middle School formal uniform (Grades 1–8), Monday–Thursday

• Formal black shoes
• White socks
• Necktie (black, with the school crest)
• Baby blue blouse (with a navy collar) or baby blue long-sleeved shirt
• Black skort or black trousers
• Sweater (black V-neck with the school crest) or tracksuit jacket (navy, yellow and white, with the school crest)

High School formal uniform (Grades 9–12), Monday–Thursday

• Formal black shoes
• White socks
• Necktie
• White blouse (with a navy collar) or white long-sleeved formal shirt
• Plaid skirt (pleated, blue and black) or black trousers
• Sweater (black V-neck with the school crest) or blazer (navy, with the school crest)

Appendix C: Frequently asked questions

What should my child wear on an excursion?

All students are expected to wear the sports uniform for physical or sports excursions. For academic or formal excursions, the formal uniform with tie is required unless otherwise specified.

What if my child is cold?

School-issued sweaters or blazers may be worn.

What happens if I cannot purchase the uniform on time?

Parents must inform the Director of Operations in writing to arrange a temporary exemption with a clear timeframe.

Can my child wear a hat or cap?

Only school-issued hats are permitted for outdoor activities.

Is jewellery allowed?

Only one pair of small stud earrings (for girls) is allowed. No other jewellery is permitted.

Are there cultural or religious exemptions?

At present, there are none. Requests must be submitted in writing for review.

What days does my child wear the sports uniform?

The sports uniform is worn on Fridays and on PE days as timetabled by the school.

Can my child change into their sports uniform during the day?

Only if they have PE scheduled during school hours.

How often should I replace my child’s uniform?

Uniforms should be replaced when they become too small, damaged, faded or untidy. Students must always present a neat and clean appearance.

Are there different uniforms for boys and girls?

Yes. Boys typically wear trousers or shorts, and girls may wear skirts, dresses or slacks depending on grade and uniform type. All must conform to official school designs.

Are coloured hairstyles or dyed hair allowed?

No. All students must maintain natural hair colours and tidy grooming. Bright or unnatural colours are not allowed.

What hairstyles are acceptable?

Hair must be neat, tidy and not obstruct the face. Extreme hairstyles (for example mohawks, patterns or shaved symbols) are not permitted.

Can my child wear religious accessories or cultural garments?

Currently, these are not part of the school uniform policy. Requests must be submitted in writing for consideration by the Director of Operations.

What if I cannot afford the uniform right now?

Parents and guardians should contact the school’s Director of Operations to discuss a payment plan or temporary waiver arrangement.

Is there a second-hand uniform shop or exchange program?

Not at present. All uniforms must be newly purchased from the Primary Campus Admin Office to ensure quality and consistency.

Who enforces the uniform rules?

Homeroom teachers, section heads and duty staff will conduct uniform checks. The Dean of Discipline and Director of Operations oversee disciplinary measures for repeat breaches.

Can my child wear casual clothes under the uniform?

No, only vests that cannot be seen under the uniform.

Are tracksuit jackets allowed on cold days?

Yes for Kindergarten to Grade 8. Grade 9 to 12 students are not permitted to wear the tracksuit jacket with the formal uniform. Only school blazers or sweaters are allowed.

What happens if my child breaches the uniform policy?

Consequences follow a progressive structure:

• High School: first offence, uniform slip; second, community service; third and further, sent home to change.
• Primary School: first offence, uniform slip; second and further, detention.

Can my child wear casual shoes with the uniform?

No. Only plain black polishable or black trainer shoes (Monday–Thursday) and proper sports shoes (Fridays and PE days) are allowed. No coloured or casual shoes are permitted.

Approval

• Approved by: Sinead Kelly, Director of Operations
• Effective from: 1 June 2025
• Next review: 1 June 2027