A SCHOOL has smartened up after pupils voluntarily ditched casual dress for school ties.

Norden High School said it was inspired to introduce school ties for Year 11 after its student council approached them with the idea.

Headteacher Tim Mitchell said pupils on the council were unhappy with the polo and sweatshirts uniform already in place and wanted to look smarter.

After encouraging the student council to canvass opinions, he allowed Year 11 pupils to voluntarily wear a shirt, a tie indicating which house they belong to and v-neck pullover if they wished.

Now 98 per cent of the 15 and 16-year-old Year 11 students at the school have opted to wear the new look.

The school is now set to allow all other school years to wear a shirt and tie, plus a blazer next September.

Mr Mitchell said: “Our Year 11 pupils who are part of the school government felt the polo and sweatshirts were not smart enough. They also felt it resembled a primary school uniform. The pupils who raised the idea did a brilliant job of getting parents’ input at an open evening and they also surveyed their peers. The overwhelming majority were for it.”

Headteacher Mark Jackson at Haslingden High School praised the scheme. He said: “We’ve got one of the smartest uniforms in the area here and I do think it sets the tone for the school.”