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).

I have two friends from different parts of England, both now aged around 70, who passed the 11+ but who couldn’t go to the grammar school because their parents couldn’t afford the uniform.

A rather sad story from my past. When I was in the sixth form I used to work in the school uniform section of a local “outfitters.”

Some school uniforms were paid for by the local authority, presumably for families with a low income. The parent produced the L A’s voucher, and we fitted the child with the uniform.

One day a parent gave me what I thought was a voucher for the local boys grammar, and I started to find the appropriate clothing, when a more experienced colleague pointed out that the voucher was issued by the school just to allow purchase of their uniform, possibly just the school cap which was worn with a plain coat. Apparently in the past some parents of children who had not passed the 11+ had bought the grammar school’s cap to give the impression (to their neighbours?) that their child was going there. How miserable for the child.

Perhaps that’s a reason for the complicated private school uniform, to signal its expensiveness and exclusivity.

This is what they pay for - helps keep the riff raff out plus how will everyone know you’ve GONE private if your kids isn’t wearing a kilt and boater etc 😂