It is one of the key reasons why we push so hard for girls to have practical uniforms at school. They were having a blast. Then I looked over to the dress wearing girls sitting under a tree chatting. A much larger group of girls sitting there being inactive. Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar school, steeped in almost years of tradition, embarked on the journey to give their school uniform a major overhaul two years ago.
I am told girls at Lowther are always encouraged to have a voice and the girls had input in a major way. Not parents. The girls that have to put the uniform on every day. Students will now be offered a suite of choices that they can select from, depending on their preferences, their body temperature, the weather, what they have on that day or even in fitting with their gender identity.
All intentionally designed for the girls to have options, whilst also providing a sense of belonging and uniformity. We also know that being active is linked to wellbeing and positive mental health. That is really important to us. Research also points to strong links between physical activity and academic results.
In what is arguably a masterstroke, the Kindergarten, Prep and Year 1 girls will only have the choice of pants and shorts under the new uniform guidelines. By normalising the pants and shorts at Lowther Hall for junior school members the culture of acceptance of these items will become embedded in the school community. Along with all the benefits that go with it.
At the launch on the 29th of November , a ticketed invite only event, students and parents alike waited in eager anticipation for the first look at the new uniform. The launch included a parade of the options, followed by a panel discussion with designer Jonathan Ward and other school leaders, and ended with a 5 minute short film displaying the history and now modern functionality of the new uniform. In this way the school gave a respectful nod to tradition, and provided a powerful demonstration of the need to move on.
