To think this a ridiculous uniform list for 4 year olds

[FinnFrey]

Been chatting to my SIL, she is sending her DD to a private school next year (gets 60% off as her husband works there). She mentioned the uniform list and I asked to see it. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a list with so much stuff for 4 year olds, any item marked * can only be bought from the school wear shop.

AIBU to think that this is quite a bonkers list? Is this just an every private school thing?

Right down to only being able to buy the hair accessories from once place and which length of socks they can wear!

This is just the girls list, boys is similar (trousers and shorts instead of pinafores and dresses and a felt cap instead of the girls 2 hats).

Ah the image is under review, I’ll try copy the list into the comments.

INFANT SCHOOL GIRLS UNIFORM & KIT

WINTER (Terms 1 & 2)
• White Blouse (Long or short sleeves)
• Red & Grey Tartan Pinafore*
• Red & Grey Tartan Tie*
• Red Cardigan with Grey Trim & School Crest*
• Red Bghts or White Knee High Socks
• Red Blazer with Grey Trim & School Crest*
• Red Felt Hat with Grey Ribbon*
• Black Leather Shoes (Velcro or Buckle)
• Red Waterproof Coat with School Crest*
• Red & Grey Tartan Hairband or Scrunchie* (No other hair accessories should be worn)

SUMMER (Term 3)
• Red Checkered Summer Dress*
• Red Cardigan with Grey Trim & School Crest*
• White Socks (Ankle height with or without frilled edge)
• Red Blazer with Grey Trim & School Crest*
• Straw Boater Hat with Red Ribbon*
• Black Leather Shoes (Velcro or Buckle)
• Red Waterproof Coat with School Crest*
• Red Checkered Hairband or Scrunchie* (No other hair accessories should be worn)

ACCESSORIES
• Red Infant Backpack with School Crest*
• Red Book Bag with School Crest*
• Water BoOle (OpBon with school crest available)
• Red Scarf & Gloves

PE KIT
• Red Drawstring Bag with School Crest*
• White & Red PE Top with School Crest*
• Red PE Shorts or Skort with School Crest*
• Grey Leggings or Jogging BoOoms
• Red Hoodie with School Crest*
• White Trainers
• Black Plimsolls
• Red Winter Hat with School Crest* (For outdoor PE)
• Red Baseball Cap with School Crest* (For outdoor PE)
• White Socks (For girls who may be wearing Bghts on PE days)

SWIMMING KIT
• Grey Drawstring Bag with School Crest*
• Red Swimming Costume with School Crest*
• Red Swimming Hat with School Crest*
• Towel (Microfibre camping style preferred as these take up less space and dry quickly)
• Goggles
• Wet Bag

This is what people pay for, isn’t it? The OTT look?

(Basing this mostly on Roald Dahl’s autobiography and the bit about the boaters and tuck boxes mostly.)

That is wild! But I don't send mine to private so... I'll wait for others to come along and say it's normal..

I live somewhere where they require blazers and specific skirts and I already find that crazy compared to where I'm from where you only have to buy an £8 tie and then everything else is generic black or white from the supermarket!

I think it looks more than it is because they're are a couple of bizarre items in it (like the hair ties - ours just have to be green) and there's a lot of duplication across the lists. My DS doesn't do swimming at school but the rest of the list is about the same (he's at a state school) albeit with woolly hats/caps rather than boaters!

More helpfully: there's probably a second hand (Upcycle) shop where they can get things cheaply?

Looks standard to me? DS was at a prep school for a few years and that looks very similar to what I needed to get for him.

I object to single sourcing of school uniform. I'd be happy for it to be illegal or subject to extra tax.

This is the same around us, secondary school all they need is blazer, tie and PE top. Primary you don’t need anything, but most get the tie/ embroidered jumper

Apart from the hats and coats that's quite similar to a lot of state schools.

Private one near me the girls have to wear winter capes as well.

I’m sure there is, thankfully.

Can’t imagine this is helping private schools keep kids coming though!

Capes?!

I suppose they think if you can afford to send to private school you can afford the uniforms.

My state school in 1984 had a similar get up but with electric blue, and white and blue braid on our felted blazers.
wool berret in winter, straw hat in summer .

we had a pretty strict uniform at secondary too, with bottle green pants under our kilts, scarf, and belt purse. all purchased from a department store in Sloane Square, even tho the school was in zone 4.

Completely normal for prep schools I'd say, and has been for 20 years or more. Couple of things to bear in mind will be some of the items on the list won't be necessary e.g. they may not wear the hats at all or only on special days or for photos or if they're on teams or something so she might not need to buy it all. Also to take with a pinch of salt that items such as hair ties must be purchased from school shop, I bet that isn't enforced strictly or at all so long as they aren't wearing glittery tiaras or what not. And I bet there's a secondhand shop for the branded items so she may well be able to get everything for supermarket prices... Obviously the school does tend to assume that parents have plenty of money and prioritise smartness in the kids hence the lots of branded items!

A long uniform list is hardly going to be a deal-breaker if parents want to send their DS/DDs to private school.

I think its a good thing. They look smart, it increases pride in their school and learn to look after their own items at a young age.

Both of dd were privately educated and that list doesn't cover what they needed. I remember paying £700 to kit dd1 out entirely at first. Needless to say my second dd had all the hand me downs!

What was really annoying was when they changed the uniform and pupils were given a year to change over - which is nothing considering all uniform was bought to last 🤔

School uniform for state schools is increasingly moving away from requiring every item to be branded with the school logo following the a law change a few years back. The nearest high schools to me have blazer and tie specific to the school then it's black school trousers or pleated skirt from anywhere. Black tights or socks for girls (not knee high) and black socks for boys. I don't know any primary or secondary specifying specific colour gloves and scarves. Or branded pe bags or swimsuits.
There's 20 different specific school crested items on that list. For a 4 year old!!

Apart from the hats that's pretty much what we had to buy for ds 20 years ago and it was a state school, the local uniform shop did a roaring trade 🙄

I think all school uniform is a nonsense, especially in primary, but most Brits (I am also a Brit) are completely wedded to it, for reasons (which no doubt will be trotted out soon) that simply don’t stand up.

So this is just the extreme end of a nonsense notion.

Totally agree. Mine don't even have a uniform, they go to school in cotton tracksuit bottoms and t-shirts/jumpers.

But this is about the signalling, isn't it? It's not focused on what's comfy and practical for the child, but what they're telling the world about their spending power.

We has to wear a beret in the winter and boatervhat in the summer ( girls) and boys wore a cap this was a convent primary school but state late 70,s early 80,s..

Don't you normally get it 100% free if you work at a private school?

It’s quite similar to our local state primary, minus the branded hat and branded coat. All the rest seems similar though, ties, shirts, blazers etc.

I’m all up for uniform with strong branding. , What I think is crazy is what we think uniform should be.

inwant my kids to be able to be comfortbale sitting on the carpet.
able to play physically in the playground, and not distracted by clothes that are too buttoned up.

i think chinos, jersey roll neck, or pique polo/ brushed cotton shirt. sweater vest and the sort of cotton twill jackets with pockets that technicians and factory workers wore, with trainers or soft sole leather shoes makes more sense to me: natural fibres, smart, but practical and comfortable. With all the pockets that are great in blazers.