Our School Uniform

For students in years 7 to 11, uniform consists of the following items, each of which should be clearly marked with the owner’s name:

  • Plain long or short-sleeved, mid-blue cotton blouse or shirt. This should be worn tucked in at all times with the top button fastened;
  • The school tie, which is navy blue with red diagonal stripes;
  • Plain navy-blue knitted jumper with the school logo;
  • Plain, dark-grey or black, plain-weave, loose-fitting trousers made of terylene or wool mixture with no prominent zips or studs (no leggings, denim or jeans are permitted);
  • Black skirt in a plain style (this does not include ‘skater’ style skirts) of a length no more than 5cm (2") above or below the knee, made of terylene or wool mixture. Short skirts in tight-fitting, lycra-type stretch fabric, cord or denim must not be worn; 
  • Belts should be black and socks should be black or white only;
  • Sensible black leather shoes only, unless there is medical evidence provided that the student cannot wear this type of shoe; they should have no visible logo or coloured edging. Canvas and suede shoes, ballet pump-style shoes and shoes with high heels are not appropriate. Secondary schooling involves much walking, stair climbing and time spent in laboratories and workshops. Students require well-made, strong, comfortable shoes in a plain style. Boots and high tops are not part of school uniform, and trousers should never be tucked inside boots in school;
  • Trainers should be brought for PE lessons only;
  • An anorak or coat in colder weather to maintain the overall smart and co-ordinated appearance of students on journeys to and from school, and on school outings. Outdoor coats, hoodies or jackets must not be worn inside the building at any time. All coats should be kept either in lockers or in bags. A school hoodie is not permitted as a substitute for a school jumper.

No jewellery should be worn, except for a watch and one pair of ear studs if desired. No facial piercings of any kind (e.g. eyebrow, nose, mouth or tongue) are allowed. 

Hair should be kept to a simple style with no artificial colours. No tramlines or similar designs to be cut into hair. Parents are advised to consult school before students choose to have fashion styles. Hair accessories should be dark in colour (black or blue) and simple in design. No artificial flowers should be worn. No extreme hair styles are permitted.

Heavy makeup is not permitted. False eyelashes, lash extensions, false nails, acrylics and nail varnish are not permitted. 

  • Plain white polo shirt with school logo;
  • Red rugby shirt;
  • Navy shorts (no brand logos);
  • Plain navy skort (cross between a skirt and shorts) or plain, non-branded, navy sports leggings (available from The Toy Shop);
  • Navy and red hooped socks;
  • Football boots (girls - only if they wish to join girls’ football teams);
  • Training shoes (non-marking soles)*.

*Students are expected to have clean-soled training shoes for indoor work.

Optional items of navy jogging bottoms and navy school hoody with school logo may be worn for outdoor PE in winter unless PE staff advise the hoody is not suitable for the sport being undertaken. Red, white, black or navy base layers are also an optional item – no other colours are acceptable.

Following advice from Cumbria County Council’s Health and Safety department, we recommend that students at Cockermouth School do not use bladed boots for football and/or rugby for their own safety. Students who represent school teams in football or rugby must wear studded boots (moulded or metal studs).

Football boots cannot be worn on the astro-turf, only suitable sports trainers should be worn, for example, astro-turf or running trainers.

We recommend that shin pads and gum-shields are used where necessary. Students who choose not to wear these will be going against health and safety recommendations.

Please ensure that your child brings the correct equipment to school. Here is a list of what they should have with them:

  • Essential Equipment - pen, pencil, ruler, red pen, whiteboard, whiteboard pen, scientific calculator – a calculator can be ordered from the Maths department.
  • Recommended Equipment - black fine liner, glue stick, highlighter, colouring pencils, round ended scissors, eraser, compass and protractor.
  • School bag - with the correct books for that day and PE kit if needed. We would recommend a waterproof rucksack with two shoulder straps. Although students are offered the chance to have use of a locker, in which equipment, books etc. can be stored temporarily, there is still the need to carry items around school and, at times, these could be quite heavy.
  • A stock of lined/plain paper and plastic wallets can be kept at home.
  • All students will be supplied with a whiteboard and a whiteboard pen at the start of Year 7, but they will then be required to replace these items as required.

Try to make sure that your child has access to a desk or table at home on which to work, and suitable storage space for books and equipment that are not needed in school every day. An A4 plastic folder can be useful for carrying homework to and from school.

N.B. Correcting fluid, which bears the words ‘keep out of the reach of children’, is not permitted.

We provide re-cycled bib-fronted aprons for practical subjects such as Design & Technology. However, if you would prefer to buy your own, they are available from The Toy Shop (contact details below), along with other items of uniform (including PE kit).

Items of uniform, including PE kit, with the school logo are a specific design and the supplier for these items is The Toy Shop, 72 Main Street, Cockermouth CA13 9LU. Contact: 01900 825855, thetoyshop@btinternet.com.  Local charity shops often stock second-hand items (see below).

Order forms are available from The Toy Shop and the price list can be viewed below:

Updated: 20/11/2024 645 KB

All completed forms should be returned to The Toy Shop; please do not return order forms to school as they may be missed and you risk not having the correct uniform for your child in September. 

When The Toy Shop has received the completed order form from you, the items will be picked ready for your collection. The Toy Shop will phone you to let you know when they are ready and to arrange a suitable time and date for collection. There is a changing room available so items can be tried on for size if necessary. Payment for goods is normally on collection but The Toy Shop runs an all year savings club so the cost can be spread by instalments in advance, if required.

Non-branded items of uniform, such as trousers, skirts and shirts, can also be purchased from other retailers as long they are the correct colour and style.

Second-hand items of uniform are available from the Cerebral Palsy charity shop on Station Street, Cockermouth. We will also continue to make arrangements for second hand uniform to be made available in school where possible.

Parents need to be aware that students are responsible for their own possessions brought into school. We do not have insurance policies that cover the cost of replacing lost or stolen items. We recommend that valuable items such as mobile phones are not brought into school, and that all uniform and sports kit is clearly labelled with the child’s name and form group. Lockers are available, and students should lock their equipment away when not in use.

Maintaining high expectations in respect of the wearing of school uniform is an important aspect of preserving Cockermouth School standards. It is the responsibility of the whole school community to ensure a high level of consistency. 

The school requires parents to show planning, foresight and support when choosing clothing and shoes for their children. The above uniform policy is clear and unequivocal. When children come to school with uniform that goes against school policy, it disrupts teaching and learning. The school sees uniform as an explicit way of preparing young people for the world of work and the expectations of the wider world.

For any queries regarding uniform, please contact:

In order to enhance our safeguarding of young people, as well as to protect their wellbeing, avoid unnecessary distraction from their learning and improve students’ positive interactions with others, mobile phones must not be used by students while they are on the school site.

In addition, we ask all students to ensure that their phone is not visible whilst on the school site (including in pockets), turned off and placed in their school bag or secured in their locker during the school day. In exceptional circumstances when your child needs to contact you during the school day, they should speak with their Pastoral Lead in the first instance and we will support them to do so.

Should you need to contact your child urgently during the school day, please contact reception and we will be able to relay a message for you.

Any phone that is being used or is visible will be taken to reception by a member of staff. If this does happen, a member of the administration team will notify you that your child’s phone is at reception, where it can be collected by a parent or carer at your convenience.