Watch as Olympian Steve Cram and TV's George Clarke back new 'active school uniform' to promote healthy lifestyles

The school decided to adopt the new ‘active school uniform’, which includes a t-shirt, tracksuit top and bottoms, which can be used for PE but also fits the remit for everyday attire which represents the school.

Steve said: “I think Dame Dorothy school are brilliant for using running and sport as a vehicle for trying to improve health and wellbeing and weaving this active culture into the daily life of school.

“I think the uniform idea is brilliant. You can come to school in kit which means at any time of the day you can go out and exercise, but it doesn’t impinge on the rest of the day.”

It was a sentiment shared by George, who grew up in Washington and has already spent time working with pupils and staff at the school through his MOBIE (Ministry of Building Innovation and Education) charity.

George said: “All the kids got the uniform free, which is great, but most importantly it’s not a stuffy uniform where you’ve got shirts and ties, which can be really expensive.

“This active uniform is much more affordable and as soon as the kids put them on they are thinking about exercising, running and keeping fit.”

The uniform promotes the school’s culture of “daily physical activity through running, playground activities, the extended school day” and headteacher Iain Williamson believes that pupils are already reaping the benefits.

He said: “The school’s commitment to health and fitness for all has gone to the next level when we decided to replace the traditional school uniform with an active style PE uniform to be worn every day.

“School leaders carefully considered the potential barriers that prevent children from being active for the government recommended 60 minutes per day.

“Formal shirts, blazers, ties, skirts and heavy shoes hinder movement and active play.

“After a consultation period with staff, governors, parents and most importantly pupils, the school took the decision to replace the traditional type of dress code with an active PE uniform to be worn every day.

“For the children it’s comfortable and smart to wear, which allows them the freedom to be active at any time.

“From the school’s perspective there is no longer any slippage time whilst getting changed for PE – the children are always ready.

“There’s also no more excuses of not having kit in school. Crucially, children are ready to be active at any point in the day wearing appropriate kit and footwear.”

Both Steve and George would like to see the initiative of a hybrid active school uniform rolled out at other schools across the city and region.

Steve said: “I think when when you see initiatives like this and how successful they are it’s usually because it’s being driven by brilliant staff and I know the headteacher here is very keen to persuade other schools to do the same.

“I 100% support that and I’d love to see a lot more schools adopting the same sort of philosophy.”

George said: “I used to hate my school uniform and I think this initiative will be a game changer.

“It’s the 21st century and kids want to be in more relaxed uniform and when it’s promoting health and wellbeing, I think it’s a no brainer.”

Whilst a hybrid uniform meant parents would no longer need to buy two sets of clothing for their children, school leaders decided to go one step further and provide the new uniform for free.

Headteacher Iain Williamson said: “Being mindful of the economic climate and financial demands on parents, the school took the decision to purchase a uniform for every child.

“Not only was the uniform popular with parents because it was free, but also it takes less time to wash, needs no ironing and can be replaced or duplicated for less money.

“The active uniform sends out a clear message to parents, staff, and the wider stakeholders that Dame Dorothy is committed to health, well-being, and daily activity.”