Wycombe Abbey Uniform

Our New Uniform

It was great to be involved in the uniform review and to have our voices heard.”

Introduction

Wycombe Abbey has a proud and illustrious history and heritage, which should be reflected in the School uniform that your daughter will wear during her time with us.

We believe in the importance of uniform and understand the positive impact that being well-presented has on us. We want our pupils to wear a uniform which reflects the needs of their day-to-day routines at

In 2021, we started a School uniform review, with the aim of updating and refreshing the current uniform, rather than radically changing the colour or style. The review involved consultation with groups of pupils, taking time to listen to which aspects of the current uniform that they really liked and would prefer to keep, together with anything they would like to see change. Overwhelmingly, our pupils wanted to retain ties in their House colour, but they also wanted greater flexibility with the option to wear trousers instead of a skirt, for example.

With increasing awareness of the environmental impact of clothing, finding a supplier who placed sustainability and ethical responsibility at the heart of their work was a key consideration.

Additionally, we wanted to enhance the experience for our global parent community and provide greater flexibility and access through an online ordering service, removing the need for parents to travel to the School for fitting and purchasing. While this option remains available for those who wish to use it, it will no longer be required and all items of your daughter’s Wycombe Abbey uniform can now be purchased from the comfort of your own home.

We believe our new uniform achieves our aims, reflects our proud history, and demonstrates a commitment to being at the forefront of girls’ education and you will find further information on the pages that follow. We hope your daughter and you are as excited about these changes as we are. We are confident we have identified the right partners to work with to deliver this change, which will continue to provide the service levels you expect from Wycombe Abbey. For completion, you will also find information about our sports kit on page 13.

Mr Nick Woods Deputy Head (Strategy and Operations)

Wycombe Abbey uniform from 1960 and 1902.

Development timeline

Autumn Term 2021

Leadership Team agree that there would be a review of uniform across the School.

June 2024

New uniform launched to parents and pupils; online shopping open.

March 2022

Working Party of pupils from various year groups and Houses discuss potential changes to the School uniform.

May 2022

Went out to tender  to uniform suppliers.

January 2022

Pupils informed about review in School Meeting and offered the chance to contribute to a Working Party.

September 2022 Range of suppliers presented to Leadership Team.

September 2024

All Wycombe Abbey pupils wearing the new School blazer.

September 2023

Final samples presented to Leadership Team and designs signed off.

September 2026

All Wycombe Abbey pupils wearing the new School uniform in full.

May 2023

Schoolblazer chosen and appointed as our new School uniform supplier.

June 2023

Pupil focus group with Schoolblazer to receive feedback on the uniform options.

Being involved in the process of changing the School uniform gave me an insight in to how much had to be considered.”

Having the choice to wear trousers is a great step forward and I love the new style shirt.”

Phased roll-out of the new Wycombe Abbey uniform

Year

LIV Current pupils may wear the new School uniform or continue wearing the existing uniform in part or full.

All LIV pupils must wear the new School blazer.

UIV New uniform to be worn by all 13+ joiners.

Current pupils may wear the new School uniform or continue wearing the existing uniform in part or full.

All UIV pupils must wear the new School blazer.

LV Current pupils may wear the new School uniform or continue wearing the existing uniform in part or full.

All LV pupils must wear the new School blazer.

UV Current pupils may wear the new School uniform or continue wearing the existing uniform in part or full.

All UV pupils must wear the new School blazer.

LVI New uniform to be worn in full by all 16+ joiners.

Current pupils may wear the new School uniform or continue wearing the existing uniform in part or full.

All LVI pupils must wear the new School blazer.

Current pupils may choose to wear the new School uniform or continue wearing the existing uniform in part or full.

All LIV pupils must wear the new School blazer.

New uniform to be worn by all 13+ joiners.

Current pupils may wear the new School uniform or continue wearing the existing uniform in part or full.

All UIV pupils must wear the new School blazer.

Current pupils may wear the new School uniform or continue wearing the existing uniform in part or full.

All LV pupils must wear the new School blazer.

Current pupils may wear the new School uniform or continue wearing the existing uniform in part or full.

All UV pupils must wear the new School blazer.

Current pupils may wear the new School uniform or continue wearing the existing uniform in part or full.

All LVI pupils must wear the new School blazer.

to

New uniform to be worn in full by all.

2024 - 2025

- 2026

2026 - 2027

UIII New uniform to be worn in full by all. New uniform to be worn in full by all.

New uniform to be worn in full by all.

New uniform to be worn in full by all.

The range

Summer Term blouse

Trousers

V-neck sleeveless jumper

Blazer

Skirt

Blazer with House pocket insert

V-neck jumper

Tights / Socks

Flat, black, appropriate shoes

Autumn Term and Spring Term blouse

House tie

Meet Schoolblazer

Following a rigorous tender process, Schoolblazer were confirmed as our chosen partners for providing Wycombe Abbey’s uniform from September 2024.

Established in 2004 by parents for parents, Schoolblazer Ltd., is a world class supplier of independent school uniform, with a deep commitment to sustainability and fair trade. They have now helped more than 200 independent schools transition to a new uniform and a new supplier. Moreover, they are online experts, focussed on providing design and product innovation to their partner schools, including bespoke, modern tailoring and an Intelligent Sizing system, designed to deliver shopping convenience for parents around the world.

Schoolblazer contact details

Schoolblazer Ltd. helpline: 0333 7000 703

(Monday to Friday 9:00am to 8:00pm; Saturday 9:00am to 5:00pm)

Email: customerservices@schoolblazer.com

Purchasing from Schoolblazer Ltd.

New Wycombe Abbey uniform will be ready to order from Monday 24 June 2024.

All parents need to register and login in at www.schoolblazer.com.

Click here to register and login to Schoolblazer to purchase the uniform from 24 June.

Schoolblazer are offering a promotional offer for early summer orders, with free UK P&P from 1 July to 14 July 2024. With a 365-day returns policy, any items ordered at the start of the holidays can be exchanged if you find they no longer fit before the start of term.

Schoolblazer ‘How to Shop’ video:

Watch here

Schoolblazer’s Intelligent Sizing system is based on a database of over 250,000 real measurements from children of all shapes and sizes. When you register, you will enter into your online account measurements for your daughter. These are combined with the detailed dimensions of all of their products and their Intelligent Sizing system will then accurately recommend the best fit for now and in a year’s time for each garment that you require. This means that parents do not need to attend on-site fittings, with 92% of orders fitting first time.

Sports kit

Wycombe Abbey Sports and PE Kit – our partnership with Serious Stuff

Wycombe Abbey partner with Serious Stuff to provide our PE and Sports kit. We are pleased to confirm that we shall move to an online offering in line with that which will be provided for the main School uniform from September 2024.

Unisex Festival Coat, EMB logos, Back print, Initials. Navy C-027 & Baby Blue 2142C

Frequently Asked Questions

What has changed in the new uniform?

While the overall design and colour of our uniform will remain largely the same, the key change is the introduction of a compulsory blazer, which all pupils from UIII to LVI will wear from September 2024. A Wycombe Abbey girls’ Boarding House is something which our pupils take pride in and, alongside their House tie, the new School blazer will have a subtle nod towards a girl’s House through a pop of colour on the blazer pocket.

In addition, we are introducing optional trousers alongside the School skirt, which has undergone a slight change in style following pupil feedback. We have also made improvements to the fabrics used for our shirts and blouses which are now more modern in cut and style.

How will the new uniform be phased in?

We will transition to the new uniform over a two-year period. Current pupils will be expected to wear the new School uniform in full from September 2026 but can combine the existing and new uniforms until that point. The only exception to this is that all pupils will be expected to wear the Wycombe Abbey blazer from September 2024. All new pupils joining the School in September 2024 will wear the new Wycombe Abbey uniform in full. A chart outlining how the uniform will be phased in can be found on page 7.

Will there be a chance to see the new uniform in person?

Dressed mannequins of the new uniform will be in the School Shop for pupils to see later in the Summer Term. We are delighted that representatives from Schoolblazer will be joining us on Friday 14 June 2024, when you will have an opportunity to ask the team any questions and to see the new uniform when collecting your daughter ahead of Short Leave.

Are any further changes planned, eg to the sports kit?

In addition to working with Schoolblazer, we have engaged with Serious Stuff (our existing sports kit supplier) and are pleased to confirm that we will move to an online offering in line with that which will be provided for the main School uniform from September 2024. No changes have been made to the range of kit offered. Sports kit from Serious Stuff will be available online from 24 June 2024.

When can I purchase items online?

Your daughter’s new School uniform will be ready to purchase online from 24 June 2024. You will need to register and log in at www.schoolblazer.com and can benefit from a promotional introductory offer with free UK postage and packaging on all orders from 1 July to 14 July.

My daughter is on a bursary. Will I receive information about covering the costs of the new School uniform?

Yes. The Finance team will be in contact with relevant families to explain how uniform and sports kit purchases can be made.

Does Schoolblazer offer a name taping service?

Yes. Fully name-taped orders are dispatched within three days. Schoolblazer will charge for the cost of the name tapes and sew them in free of charge.

Can I still purchase items from the School Shop?

The School Shop will continue to sell the existing uniform until the end of the 2023-2024 academic year or when stocks run out, whichever is sooner. No new orders of our existing uniform are being placed. From September 2024, the School Shop will only hold samples of sizes to assist online ordering, although the Shop will have the ability to place urgent orders on a FastTrack service (without name tagging) where required.

Additionally, the School Shop will continue to sell some bespoke items that are not offered through the Schoolblazer (uniform) or Serious Stuff (sports kit) ranges including some branded items (sports kit bag and swimming cap), boot bags and swimming bags.

If you have any queries about what your daughter will need for the new academic year, please contact the School Shop directly by email (shop@wycombeabbey.com) or by phone (01494 897042).

Will Wycombe Abbey offer a School coat?

From September 2024, pupils will only be allowed to wear a Wycombe Abbey branded coat when wearing their School uniform or sports kit. Three designs of coat will be offered from the Serious Stuff range, which will complement our School uniform. All pupils will be required to purchase the mesh lined jacket as part of their sports kit.

With the move to online purchasing, what is happening with the School Shop?

The School Shop will continue to sell the existing School uniform until the end of this academic year or until stocks run out, whichever is sooner. From September 2024, the shop will only hold sample sizes of garments to assist with online purchasing, although the Shop will have the ability to place urgent orders on a FastTrack service (without name tagging) where required. In addition to uniform and sports kit, the School will continue to sell a wide range of other items to girls including stationery, personal hygiene products and the much-loved tuck.

Will the School Shop continue to offer a fitting service?

Yes. The School Shop will maintain a stock of samples for fitting purposes only and to assist with online purchasing. Fittings for uniform and Sports kit will be offered by bookable appointment at certain points in the year. New families will have the option of booking an in-person fitting, although this will not be compulsory, which we hope will benefit our overseas families in particular.

Is the School considering selling second-hand uniform?

The School Shop currently sells a limited number of nearly new items, which are offered at reduced prices, typically 50% of the full value. We hope that after a few years of the new uniform, we shall offer a more comprehensive second-hand uniform service and look forward to sharing further details in due course.

How do I know what sizes to order?

You can input your child’s measurements into the Schoolblazer Intelligent Sizing System and they will indicate the recommended size on the shopping page. However, this is a suggestion, based on the measurements you have entered. Should you wish to choose an alternative size, you can use the dropdown menu to select this.

What if I need to return an item?

Schoolblazer offer a free returns service so please return any item unsuitable using their online returns tool, and they will either refund or exchange as required.

How long will my order take to be despatched?

Schoolblazer are committed to despatching orders within three working days, and more swiftly than this wherever possible. FastTrack delivery is also available for emergency items, although these will not be eligible for the name taping service.

I need an item that is showing as out of stock on the website, what should I do?

As an online retailer Schoolblazer typically hold much higher levels of stock than a high street store, but if an item you require is showing as out of stock, please place your order and they will work to supply this as quickly as possible.

What if I need further information or help with my order?

The Schoolblazer website features lots of useful information including a How to Shop video and more Frequently Asked Questions. Alternatively, you can call their Customer Services Team on 0333 7000 703 and they will be happy to help.

I have further queries about what my daughter may need. Who should I contact?

To discuss any queries relating to what your daughter will need to have ready for the new academic year, please contact the School Shop directly by phone 01494 897042 or email shop@wycombeabbey.com

Where can I find information about exactly what we are required to purchase?

A full list of compulsory and optional uniform and sports kit items can be found on our website. This also outlines where you can purchase items, including those that currently can only be available from the School Shop.