Why school uniform?
When our students go to school, they put on their school uniform, something that is unique in Sweden for us at Nordic International School. The students receive a new uniform at the start of each academic year. We are currently the only primary school in Sweden to offer a school uniform to our students. For us, this is a clear choice for many reasons.
High expectations
We work with high expectations and the uniform helps us to hold the same, high expectations for all our students. We also have high expectations for our staff. We expect that they take their very important role seriously and that they are always professional and that they prioritise the team above themselves, therefore the staff also have a dress code.
We have not chosen to give our students a school uniform because we think it’s fun. We are convinced that the school uniform creates better conditions for what is our ultimate goal, that more people will have access to a really good education.
”I like the way that the school uniform looks and it is really nice to not have to spend time deciding what to wear to school every morning.”
- Former student: Nordic International School Norrköping
Fewer distractions and greater sense of community
Our school uniform removes an unnecessary distraction from the school day. Our students don’t spend any school time comparing clothes and the corresponding colour scheme helps to maintain a calm visual space in our classrooms, which makes our students learning environment even more hospitable for study and knowledge development. Furthermore, students don’t have to spend any time thinking about what to wear to school.
Common clothing contributes to a greater sense of community at school, when superficial differences are peeled away, it becomes clearer how many things our students have in common. Together, we are Nordic and all our students have made the same choice to attend our school for the same reasons.
Equality
Our goal is to give more children access to a really good education, regardless of the child’s background. Therefore, equality is important to us. Our uniform creates equal conditions for all students. It is not visible who can and cannot afford fancy clothes. The uniform is also gender neutral since it is the same for everyone.
The act of putting on the uniform is a way to set a clear focus and show yourself and others that you are taking your education seriously. Going to school is one of the most important things our children do and the uniform helps our students make a difference between school and free time.
New clothes every year
At the beginning of the school year, every student is given the following:
- Year 4-6
– 3 light blue polo shirts
– 2 dark blue zip cardigans - Year 7-9
– 3 light blue polo shirts
– 2 dark blue v-neck cardigans
Students wear their own trousers of choice as well as indoor shoes or socks. Outdoor clothes and shoes are kept in the student’s lockers.
Webshop
At the beginning of the school year, students are given a new set of clothes free of charge, to ensure they can adhere to the dress code. However, guardians can purchase extra school clothes through our webshop.
