Doncaster school pupils to wear ties made from recycled plastic bottles

From September, Armthorpe Academy will launch a new uniform policy for its students, including the introduction of an eco-friendly tie and removing unnecessary branded items.

Every Year 7 student joining Armthorpe in September will receive a free school tie - and the families of Armthorpe students will no longer have to purchase new uniform with logos from exclusive providers.

Instead, their uniforms can be purchased at supermarkets and other high street stores, with an exception for school blazers and ties.

The changes have been introduced with the rising cost-of-living as well as sustainability in mind. The new policy will reduce the long-term cost of purchasing uniform for parents and carers, as well as reduce the amount of used branded uniform going to landfill.

Every eco tie saves two plastic bottles from going to landfill sites across the UK, which can eventually end up polluting the ground and getting into our food chain. They are made from yarn produced from recycled plastic bottles and are made in a mill in Lancashire. The ties will be delivered directly to Armthorpe reducing the school’s carbon footprint by up to 90 per cent.

Where families are finding it difficult to afford uniform, Armthorpe Academy works APEC, the Armthorpe Charity, to support families in need of financial support by funding uniform as well as offering many other support services locally.

Claire Robbins, Headteacher at Armthorpe Academy, part of Consilium Academies, said: “Supporting our children and their families is at the heart of what we do at Armthorpe, and I am proud to be a trustee of APEC, as we expand our support to families across our community.

“We hope that by making uniforms more affordable, it’s one less thing that our families need to worry about. Uniform is an integral part of school life, but that doesn’t mean it has to be costly or difficult for parents/carers.

“Sustainability is incredibly important to us as well as our students, so it’s only right that we ensure that it is front of mind when introducing new and long-term policies such as this.”

David Clayton, Chief Executive at Consilium Academies, said: “The cost of uniforms can be a heavy expense and burden on families, especially those who are feeling the effects of rising living costs.

“Buying branded uniform is unnecessarily expensive. No parent/carer should ever have to struggle to clothe their child for school, that’s why we’ve introduced this policy in all nine schools across our trust, to help every one of our 6,071 children and their families.

“As well as reducing costs for families, I am pleased to say our move to unbranded uniform and the introduction of our eco tie, will decrease the amount of product going to landfill as well as reduce our carbon footprint significantly.”

The new uniform policy will be implemented for when Consilium schools start term in September 2022, and brings all of Consilium’s nine academies into line with the Department for Education’s guidance on making uniforms more affordable.