Anyone with a girl currently at Oundle?

[TheWomanTheyCallJayne]

Or anyone with one starting this year.

May I pick your brains please about uniform etc please?

Hello @TheWomanTheyCallJayne, my DD is starting Yr 7 at Oundle in September and I wondered if you might be able to pass on any wisdom so that I can help her get off to a smooth start. eg what sort of things she should bring which will help her fit in etc. She is coming from a tiny rural primary not on the UK mainland and can come across as a bit quirky and eccentric.

I don’t have girls there but have experience of boys only but of course have come into contact with the girls …. It’s not a fashion conscious kind of school. Fancy clothes and make up are minimal. You rarely see girls wearing much make up. Out of uniform the clothes are understated and casual. Avoid big brands.
It’s a large school with people from every corner of the world. There is no standard type to “fit in” especially so in the world we live in where individuality is celebrated.
If you talk to the house matron they will guide you on what uniform is really needed and how much of each item. Girls make more of an effort decorating their dorms, personalising their space. This is a broadly alien concept in the boys’ houses!

Hi @JDPR! This is not a direct reply to your question but my son will also be starting at Oundle School in First Form in September. Will your daughter be boarding? My son will be in the Berrystead.

There are YouTube videos about life at Oundle by a recent sixth former, and they cover things like home clothes to bring.

Hello OliviaC888 yes, she will also be starting Yr 7 at the Berrystead. Quite a change from her current school, which is tiny.

Hi! Not a current pupil but recent female former pupil at Oundle here, with a sibling still at the school. Happy to help if I can. FWIW, I broadly agree with @leftandaright about the mindset at Oundle wrt clothes and decor but happy to answer any specific questions you may have

Hi @Portraitist, yes, Oundle is a big school but I think there is a relatively small number of pupils in The Berrystead for First Form. My son is a little nervous about the boarding aspect. Will you be going to the Open Day this Saturday?

We live on Isle of Man so, alas, no Open Day for Sophia. Your son should not fret about boarding, OliviaC8. He will find it much more fun to be with all his friends at school. And the French lady i/c the Berrystead looks like she runs a pretty tight ship. I boarded from age 10 (millions of years ago) and it was a bit of a shock to the system as the school was very 'Old World' and dispensed with non-essentials like heating, hot water, food etc, while I had come from a pretty pampered existence at home. However, one can see that the boarding schools these days are more like luxury hotels and pupil life is very plush. No unheated outdoor swimming pools nowadays... At one of the schools we viewed last September, the kitchen staff was setting up for lunch in the main dining room. The spread was so amazing that it made me think of the visits by Westerners to Soviet factories. A fabulous feast would be laid out in the workers canteen, but as soon as the gullible Western visitors had been suitably impressed, the feast was always whipped away to the bosses executive suite and replaced with the usual gruel. I expressed my suspicions of something similar to the Admissions person who was conducting the tour, but they assured me that the food was both typical and genuine :) My main concern this Summer will be to train Sophia to be disciplined and forward thinking, and to shed her ditzy Princess approach to self-organisation, otherwise she will have a tough first fortnight.

It's a shame that you won't be able to attend tomorrow's Open Day with Sophia. We had a tour last year but my husband wasn't able to attend so this will be a great opportunity for him to have a good look around. I'm also looking forward to sampling the school's delectable cuisine!

We only live 40 minutes away from the school but it's a bit too far to commute every day, so boarding is the best option for Adam. How does Sophia feel about boarding? I'm hoping that the experience will make Adam more independent and broaden his outlook on life.

Madame Fonteneau is wonderful. She seems firm but fair and I know she will certainly keep Adam on his toes.

I look forward to meeting you and Sophia in early September. Best wishes, Olivia. xx

I actually have my youngest son starting in September now. He’ll be boarding.

Hi @TheWomanTheyCallJayne will your son be in the First Form in September? xx

He’s 13 so will be going into third form

Hi @TheWomanTheyCallJayne I think the majority start in Third Form. I hope your son is looking forward to starting at Oundle School. My son is really excited but also quite nervous. xx

PM me if you want any questions answered. I have a few years experience of being a MOB @ Oundle 😁

Hi @leftandaright thank you for your lovely, kind offer. If I have any questions, I'll certainly drop you a message. Many thanks, Olivia. xx

Thanks. He’s not feeling too bad. I think having his next brother up in U6 helps.

Hi @leftandaright I hope you don't mind me messaging you. I have a question about uniform. Do you know if the cricket kit is needed for the Michaelmas term? I'm assuming that cricket is only played in the Summer Term but I just wanted to double check. Many thanks. Best wishes, Olivia. xx

@OliviaC8 cricket kit is not needed until the summer term.
for this first term you need the navy rugby/hockey shorts x 3 pairs but none of the pe shorts (cut longer from weird material) . 3 reversible playing tops , tracksuit bottoms, at least one set of skins possibly two, either a splash top (size up a lot) or a mid layer fleece. 3 pairs of games socks. Contact your house matron as she may have stock of all types of uniform - sports kit less so as it’s only two years old . I kitted my children out from Matron for 90% of all uniform for less than £100 as she carries outgrown kit in her stores. Not all matrons do this though so you’ll need to ask yours.

Good Morning @leftandaright. Thank you so much for the information. I really appreciate your help and advice. I will make contact with the matron. Hope you're having a lovely summer. Best wishes, Olivia. xx

I don’t think any of mine have ever had 3 of anything but I’ve noticed they’ve thinned down what is needed so maybe instead of all the various different items they just need more of each of the ones they do have.
Annoying as I’ve saved stuff to pass down that is now useless.

@TheWomanTheyCallJayne thank you for the information. I'm dreading sewing in all the name tapes! xx

a tip for labelling clothes in response to the name tapes comment as they will all get laundered together: use studs instead. They last longer and can be snipped off with pliers eventually so you can sell on unmarked kit.

I’ve spent years sewing in labels and this year I bought a stamp.
I’ve noticed other people aren’t so meticulous about such things so decided im not going to worry so much either.

I use the iron on labels at primary school but when I spoke with the matron a few months ago, she was adamant that everything needs to be sewn in. I wish I knew how to use a sewing machine. The stamp sound good. xx

I tried a stamp but school washes quickly faded it.
May dc have 3 sports tops as they play sport around 10 times a week (their choice to) . Matron washes sports kit in house so it’s a 36 hour turn around usually . Day uniform goes off to the main school wash. They have 8-12 school shirts ….