Alarm bells rang on the first day of reception at my children’s West London private school as the headmistress addressed us in the gym. “If you ever want to thank me,” she smiled. “A case of Burgundy on the last day of term will be most welcome.”
Everybody laughed heartily but the nature of the request stuck in my throat. Fine wine? On top of the £50,000 a year in school fees that we were going to have to work our socks off to afford?
Other parents took her at her word, though. On the final day of that term, I watched a mum in gym kit navigating a tower of Ruinart champagne cases through the front door. There I was thinking that the £10 per family contribution to the teacher’s SpaceNK vouchers was generous. You can never be generous enough in a London private school, though.
We’re in an incredibly privileged position to be there and yet we feel we don’t give enough compared to the other parents. Over six years in the system, I’ve realised that on top of fees there are two tiers of extra cost: obligatory spends that you’d be judged for not paying and competitive spends that keep you up with the Joneses.
Shorts
