THE perseverance of a Reigate student who campaigned for a school tracksuit has paid off.
Year 11 Royal Alexandra and Albert School pupil Ben Hoad decided something needed to be done about the school's lack of a tracksuit.
Ben, a keen runner and member of the school's cross-country running club, thought the school's PE uniform of a hoody and tracksuit bottoms could be improved.
He said: "The school needed a tracksuit that looked smart for fixtures and kept pupils warm in winter. I brought it up in student council and they thought a tracksuit was a good idea."
Ben then needed the thumbs-up from PE teachers, the headmaster and the bursar before he had the go-ahead.
"It took much longer than I thought," he said. "I had to go to meetings with the bursar and explain why we wanted a tracksuit, and there were meetings about what design would be best, how much it should cost, and whether it would be compulsory.
"It took a long time for it all to come together but it was worth it."
The tracksuit is now available as an optional part of the school's PE uniform, and pupils will be able to wear the tracksuit to sports fixtures and PE lessons. After nearly six months of working to get the tracksuit approved Ben said: "It took a lot of effort but I'm proud of what I accomplished."
Headmaster Paul Spencer Ellis said: "I'm delighted that Ben has shown the initiative, drive and perseverance to see this project through."
