There has been a significant increase in students wearing jewellery during physical education lessons and activities. The wearing of jewellery, earring and ear-studs (metal or plastic) is not permitted on safety grounds during physical education lessons and other sporting activities such as out of hours school learning or competitive fixtures. This includes body piercings such as tongue studs or belly button jewellery.
These items represent a potential hazard not only to the wearer but also to other children. Medical advice confirms that any jewellery worn in physical education lessons is an unnecessary risk and should be avoided at all times. Serious accidents have occurred as a result of contact between students wearing earrings or studs and other students or equipment, thus damaging the ear, or where items of jewellery have caught in apparatus and torn the ear lobe.
Students are encouraged to leave items of jewellery and earrings at home on days when they have physical education lessons.
Newly pierced ears can take a period of up to six weeks before sleepers and studs can be removed. The school would like to remind parents that ears should be pierced at the start of the summer holidays to allow sufficient time for earrings to be safely removed.
Students who are not able to remove earrings (as these may be newly pierced) should cover the piercing with tape or a plaster provided by themselves. Failing to cover piercings could mean that the student may not actively participate in physical education for their own and others’ safety. In this circumstance a student will be asked to undertake the role of coach, official or other learning activity that is relevant.