We are delighted to be able to launch the online shop for our new alternative uniform supplier, Ethical Schoolwear. This offer, which sits alongside the existing supplier Price and Buckland, follows the market research we conducted earlier this year. That suggested that a significant number of families in our community wanted the option to buy ethically and sustainably.
As an introduction, there is a discount available on all items ordered before the 31st of July. We have seen samples of all the items and they appear to be well made and durable. Feedback from when they were displayed to parents/carers back in the Spring was very favourable.
The link to our store is below:
Remember, that the only item we ask to have the Parkdale logo on is the jumper, sweatshirt or cardigan. Everything else is optional, but our amrkt research tells us lots of people like to have the logo on additional items too. . Ethical Schoolwear also sell our items without the logo on their general online store. Just click the Plain School Uniform tab at the home page.
Our updated uniform policy is available here: Parkdale Uniform 2025 v2
As a reminder, this initiative was prompted by our Carbon Footprint Audit and Climate Action plan, which identified uniform as the 2nd highest contributor to our carbon footprint after commuting. We also felt that the ethical and employment rights aspect fitted neatly with our values, particularly the guarantee of no child labour or slavery in the production cycle.
Ethical Schoolwear promises only to sell school uniform and branded clothing from manufacturers that:
- Are Ethical Trading Initiative members
- Are B Corp certified
- Are Planet Mark certified
- Use as much recycled fabric as possible
- Are certified CarbonNeutral
- Are signed up to the Better Cotton Initiative
- Pay the living wages for the countries in which they operate
- Align their values with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
- Open up their factories to third-party independent inspection to ensure healthy and safe working practices, zero child labour and zero modern day slavery
- Take action to eradicate period poverty within their workforce