Schools and PTAs order hundreds of garments a year: leavers’ hoodies, sports-day tees, fayre stock, and staff polos. Get the excitement right while keeping designs safe, inclusive and policy-aligned — here is a practical guide to leavers’ wear, event merch, and safeguarding-friendly artwork before you hit print.
If you would not put it on the school newsletter header, think twice before you print it across thirty hoodies. Run final artwork past your designated safeguarding lead when in doubt.
Leavers’ hoodies and tees
Year-six and secondary leavers’ orders are emotional and logistical peaks. Parents expect a memorable back print, a comfortable blank, and a deadline that lands before the last week of term.
- Back print: school name, leavers’ year, and optionally first names — see safeguarding below before you commit to full names.
- Colourways: offer two garment colours maximum unless your volunteer team loves spreadsheets; fewer SKUs mean fewer wrong-size swaps.
- Samples: one hoodie in the smallest and largest ordered sizes helps carers check fit before bulk approval.
Use our hoodie designer to preview art on different garment colours, and our T-shirt designer if you add a lighter summer tee alongside hoodies.
Events, fayres and fundraising
Summer fayres, discos, and sports days are perfect for branded tees volunteers can spot in a crowd, plus small runs of shirts you sell at cost-plus to raise funds.
- Volunteer visibility: one bold colour and large “PTA” or “Staff” type beats ten lines of small print at twenty paces.
- Kids’ event tees: keep designs generic (“Sports Day 2026”) so unsold stock can roll to next year if needed.
- Pricing: build VAT and payment fees into your spreadsheet early so the treasurer is not surprised at checkout.
Safeguarding-friendly design choices
Safeguarding is not only about online behaviour; what you print on clothing can identify children or encourage contact in ways your school policy does not allow.
- Photos on garments: avoid class photos or identifiable pupil images on items that will be worn in public or shared on social media without robust media consent that covers merchandising.
- Personal details: do not print surnames, phone numbers, social handles, or QR codes that lead to private chat groups unless your school has explicitly approved the format.
- Inside jokes: phrases that seem harmless in the WhatsApp group may read differently to parents, governors or inspectors — keep humour broad and kind.
- Third-party characters: popular film or game characters usually need licensing; stick to original art or school-owned logos.
Inclusivity and nicknames
Many leavers’ designs list first names or nicknames on the back. That can be inclusive and fun — or accidentally exclude or embarrass.
- Opt-in only: collect the exact spelling each family wants printed; offer “decline name list” for families who prefer only the year block.
- Nickname policy: agree upfront that nicknames must be approved by a staff member and must not be rude, suggestive or targeting another pupil.
- Deadlines: close the name list a week before artwork lock so your printer is not caught mid-proof when someone wants a last-minute change.
How PTAs run a smooth order
One spreadsheet
Name, class, garment type, colour, size, paid Y/N — shared view, single source of truth.
Proof once
Single PDF mock-up of back + front; circulate to school before you collect final payment.
Buffer sizes
Order a couple of extras in mid-sizes if budget allows; swaps are cheaper than one-off reprints.
DTG, DTF and what to pick
Direct-to-garment (DTG) shines on cotton-rich school colours with detailed, multi-colour art. DTF can suit mixed fibres or bolder graphics where you need flexibility across hoodie and tee blanks. Your printer can advise per garment — we coordinate methods in-house so committee orders stay on one invoice.
See services we offer for how DTG and DTF fit alongside embroidery and stickers, and artwork specifications before you export files from the designer.
Start your school or PTA order
Design hoodies and T-shirts in our online tool, share previews with your committee, then checkout when everyone is happy.
This article is general guidance only; always follow your school’s safeguarding policy and seek approval from your headteacher or designated safeguarding lead for public-facing designs and data.
