The Halo Code

As a Halo School we are proud to celebrate Afro-textured hair worn in all styles within our community. By signing up to the Code, we pledge to ensure that no student or staff member experiences discrimination or disadvantage in their education or workplace based on how they choose to wear their natural hair.

The Halo Code:

"We acknowledge that Afro-textured hair is an important part of our Black staff and students’ racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious identities, and requires specific styling for hair health and maintenance.

We welcome Afro-textured hair worn in all styles including, but not limited to, afros, locs, twists, braids, cornrows, fades, hair straightened through the application of heat or chemicals, weaves, wigs, headscarves, and wraps.

At our school, we recognise and celebrate our staff and students’ identities. We are a community built on an ethos of equality and respect where hair texture and style have no bearing on anyone’s ability to succeed."

Notes about the Halo Code

1. Schools have the right to enforce a dress code as long as it is fair and does not unduly discriminate against any students and staff. Under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), “schools must eliminate racial discrimination and promote good race relations”. Policies and practices that prohibit hairstyles which are primarily used to maintain Afro-textured hair can lead to indirect discrimination.

2. The Halo Code focuses on hair textures and styles most commonly associated with the Black community. The term Black has historically been used as a racial and political label. Here, we use it to refer to people of the African Diaspora, including those with mixed heritage, who as a result of their ancestry have Afro-textured hair.

3. The Halo Code is a gender neutral policy.

4. In order to embody the sprit of The Halo Code, staff are encouraged to familiarise themselves with different Afro-textured hairstyles and their cultural significance, and to avoid labelling Afro-textured hair with terms such as messy, unprofessional, or inappropriate.

5. Halo Code does not prevent schools from issuing additional guidance around Afro-texture hair and protective styles, including:

- That head wraps and scarves should reflect other elements of the dress code such as the organisation’s colours.

- That hair be tied up for health and safety reasons.

- That hair colour is reflective of the wider dress code policy.

For more about the Halo code for schools please click HERE.