Standards of Appearance
School uniform items should fit properly and must not be dirty, faded, frayed or torn. Students must ensure that they have sufficient quantity of each uniform item to wear the correct items every day.
Students’ personal appearance is also important. A smart personal appearance helps focus students on their work and thereby supports learning.
Skirts
- Girls’ skirts must be at least knee length.
Trousers
- Boys’ trousers must be worn on the waist, not the hip.
- If a belt is worn, it should be plain black with a simple grey, black or silver buckle.
Blouses
- Girls' blouses with a tailored bottom edge may be worn outside of skirts.
- Blouses with a straight-cut or otherwise untailored bottom edge must be tucked into skirts.
- Top buttons must be fastened at all times.
- If a vest or other garment is worn under the blouse, it must be tucked securely into the skirt and must not be visible through the blouse, at the neck or at the sleeves.
Shirts
- Boys’ shirts must be tucked securely into trousers at all times.
- Top buttons must be fastened at all times.
- Long-sleeved shirts must be buttoned at the cuff.
- If a vest or other garment is worn under the shirt, it must not be visible through the shirt, at the neck or at the sleeves.
Ties
- The tip of the broad end should be at or just above the top of the trouser or skirt waistband.
- The knot should be a standard size - neither too tight nor too large.
- The knot should cover the top button of the shirt or blouse.
Shoes
- School shoes should have black leather uppers (not patent or suede).
- The sides of the soles should also be black.
- The shoes must have a formal, businesslike style.
- The shoes must not have sports-style soles or stitching.
- The heel should be very low. Platform soles are not permitted.
- Shoes should not have prominent buckles or obvious branding.
- School shoes should be kept well polished.
Blazers
- Blazer collars must not be turned up.
- Blazer sleeves must not be rolled or folded up.
- Students may remove their blazers during lessons but must wear them elsewhere on the campus.
- The Sixth Form jacket is optional during the normal school day when summer uniform is being worn. However, Prefects and other Sixth Form students representing the school may be required to wear the jacket.
Hair
- Students' hair may not be shorter than a No.3 cut, which is 9 millimetres in length.
- Boys' hair may not cover their eyebrows or extend below the top of their shirt collar.
- Boys may not have facial hair, except that they may wear a neatly trimmed moustache.
- Boys may not have noticeable stubble.
- Sideburns should be short and natural in appearance, not unduly styled.
- Girls with hair that is longer than their collar must have it tied at the back, either into a ponytail, bun or plait. Two ponytails or plaits are also acceptable.
- Girls' hair accessories may only be plain purple or black.
- Students may not dye or highlight their hair in any way.
- Students may not use products such as hair gel, wax, mousse, cream or oil.
- Students may not have unruly, unnatural or eccentric hairstyles. In particular, hair may not be worn in mohawk, fauxhawk, quiff or rattail styles.
- Lines or shapes may not be shaved into hair or eyebrows.
- If the back and sides are worn short, this length should be blended gently into a slightly longer top. The top should not be considerably longer than the back and sides.
- Any student whose hair is inappropriate will be sanctioned and must buy and wear a BSK cap until such time as the situation can be corrected. However, any Muslim student who has their hair shaved when performing Umra will not be sanctioned or required to wear a cap.
Jewellery and Accessories
- Girls may wear a matching pair of very small, plain gold or silver stud earrings in the lobe of each ear. No other piercings are acceptable.
- Wristwatches should not be an eccentric size, style or colour. Smartwatches are banned.
- Eyeglasses should not be an eccentric style or colour.
- Students may not wear sunglasses or glasses with tinted or light-reactive lenses.
- Students may not wear coloured contact lenses.
- Official BSK badges and BSK charity ribbons may be worn on the tie, ID badge lanyard or blazer lapel.
- No other jewellery or accessories may be worn.
Cosmetics
- Students may not use eye makeup or facial makeup.
- Students may not use lipstick, lip gloss or coloured lip balm.
- Students may not use nail polish. This includes gels and acrylics.
- Students may not wear henna tattoos.
- Students may not have any writing or drawing on their skin.
Hijabs
- The grey and purple BSK Middle Phase (MP) hijab, as sold in the Royal Scot, should be worn tight to the head and modestly covering the neckline, not hanging down or draped over the shoulder. If a garment is worn underneath the BSK MP hijab, it should either be completely concealed or, if that is not possible, exactly the same plain grey colour.
- The mid-grey BSK Upper Department hijab, as sold in the Royal Scot, should be worn tight to the head and modestly covering the neckline, not hanging down or draped over the shoulder or back. If a garment is worn underneath the BSK UD hijab, it should either be completely concealed or, if that is not possible, exactly the same plain mid-grey colour.
- The plain, unbranded, white cotton hijab worn by Sixth Form girls should be worn tight to the head and modestly covering the neckline, not hanging down or draped over the shoulder or back. If a garment is worn underneath the hijab, it should also be plain, unbranded, white cotton.
Sikh students
- Sikh students may grow their hair and wear a plain grey turban of modest proportions.
- Sikh students may wear a kara.
- Sikh students may carry only a small symbolic kirpan which is incapable of causing injury. These must be checked by the DC.
Adjustments to uniform items
- Uniform items bought in the Royal Scot must not be altered in any way without the written permission of the relevant coordinator.
- The only exception to this rule is for the length of trouser legs.
Schoolbags
- Students may choose suitable shoulder bags or backpacks, laptop cases and lunchboxes. These should be safe, appropriately branded and suited to their purpose.
- Bags and lunchboxes should be small enough to fit into lockers and bag boxes.
- The student's name, tutor group and admission number should be either on a label or written in modestly sized text in an unseen place on each bag or box.
- No inappropriate or potentially offensive writing, patches, stickers or badges should be added.
- Wheeled bags are a banned item.
Labelling uniform items
- Students should use a fabric pen to write their admission number, clearly but in an unseen place, on uniform items which may be removed during the day.
- Students may also wish to purchase printed name labels from the Royal Scot.
Photographic identification badges
- The student ID badge comprises a printed card, its plastic holder and the BSK lanyard.
- The student ID badge is an essential uniform item.
- The badge is issued free of charge at the beginning of each school year.
- The badge remains the property of the school.
- The badge must not be concealed, altered, defaced or accessorised.
- Any student who loses or damages their printed card must order a new one immediately.
- Any student who loses or damages their lanyard or holder must buy a replacement from the Royal Scot. One day's grace is allowed, to enable the student to bring the correct money.
- The same rules apply to replacement cards, lanyards and holders as to the original items.
Adverse weather
During the Winter Uniform period:
- Coats may be worn as well as, but not instead of, school blazers.
- Students may wear only the scarf, gloves or hat from the BSK knitwear pack.
During the Summer Uniform period:
- In the event of rain, blazers may be worn outside school buildings, but not inside (except Sixth Form students, for whom blazers are an optional part of summer uniform).
- Students may not wear a pullover, coat, scarf, gloves or hat.
- At any time:
- In the event of rain, students may wear formal, black leather shoes in a heavier than normal style, but may not wear boots.
Changeover periods
- There are two uniform changeover periods: in autumn, when students change from summer to winter uniform, and in spring, when students change from winter to summer uniform.
- During changeover periods, students may choose to wear either the summer or winter uniform specified for their department.
- However, students must not mix-and-match summer and winter uniform items.
Relaxation of the Uniform Policy
- In the event that a uniform item which could only reasonably be replaced during a weekend is lost or damaged (eg shoes) the student will not be sanctioned for the remainder of the week.
- Students may take part in occasional mufti days, in line with the dress code for the day.
- Students who will leaving for Model United Nations straight after school should wear business dress instead of BSK uniform on that day.
- The situation in which a student is injured and needs to wear a bandage or plaster cast might require some relaxation of this policy. Plaster casts should not be written on.
- Students may bring a dust mask and wear it in the event of sandy weather.
- Any other deviation from this policy will only be considered upon receipt by the Head Teacher of a parental request letter and an official medical report. Approval is not automatic and normal uniform must be worn until the request is approved.