If you're a teacher, what would you want the parents to get you for Christmas?

[chickpea1982]

I'm in charge of buying a group present for my child's teacher this year. If you are a teacher, what would you want to receive? We've got a few hundred pounds to spend. I'm thinking vouchers, so she can buy herself something she actually wants. Or would it spoil it to just ask her want she wants? Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

John Lewis voucher always hugely appreciated by the staff at my kids school. Lots of choice and if all else fails it can be spent in Waitrose.

Wow what a nice treat! Vouchers, not the awkward one4all/love to shop ones though.

I agree, John Lewis vouchers here too.

Costa voucher!

Amazon voucher - you buy just about anything on Amazon!

a few hundred pounds, I'd be embarrassed to receive that from a class (am a teacher) why not donate 1/2 in the teachers name to a deserving education charity and the other half on a voucher

Yep John Lewis vouchers - encourages you to spend it on nice quality things that you don't usually get for yourself, with the option of Waitrose too.

I agree. This is so inappropriate.

Bloody hell. I was going to say chocolate Lindt balls but not hundreds of pounds worth.

Is it primary? Are there TAs it could be split with?

Token gift plus vouchers I guess. I wouldn’t donate to charity if the parents have specifically donated for a gift.

I’m not sure I’d be allowed to accept a gift of a few hundred pounds! It depends on your area though but it might be best to check before you spend the money on a voucher? The office would know!

I actually think that all that should be given is a handmade card and/small gift of chocolate etc. from child. Gifts from the parents were a private school thing until relatively recently

A few hundred pounds is really excessive.
But if you are going to spend that much vouchers are good - John Lewis is good as others have suggested, or M&S or Amazon

I'd like book tokens to spend on books for the classroom.

All I used to get were crappy pound shop ornaments and poor-quality chocolates. I’d have preferred it if they hadn’t given me anything.

I'd also be mortified if I got that gift (I teach)

Ex-teacher in schools in areas of high deprivation. I didn’t want anything. My own children did enjoy the chocolate, though.

Is this a fee-paying school? Are there tax implications?

A few hundred? Am I reading that right? Is this a private school?

I was given straight up cash last year, and I really appreciated that.

When mine were in primary we’d have a similar amount of money. We’d share it with the TAs and support staff too. So buy a little something for the admin staff and caretaker than split the rest between teacher and TAs. I’d always buy John Lewis vouchers. Some parents when they did it bought gifts, all sort of shit I think mostly ended up in a drawer somewhere, like scarves and wash bags.

I've done class collections for years for various of my children. I either ask the teacher and TA, if I feel I know then well enough, or go for one4all vouchers. They used to be quite fiddly to use, but have apparently improved and my son's teacher last year said they are fine. I tend not to go for John Lewis (unless it's their stated choice) as stuff there can be expensive so I don't want to put them in the position of having to spend money to use their present. Over the years teachers and TAs have asked for one4all, John Lewis, M&S or Amazon vouchers. We are an inner city London school and between the parents also get a few hundred pounds, some give more, some very little, but it always evens out to a really solid amount. We divide equally between the teacher and TA.

quiet:)

I don't think state school teachers are generally allowed to accept such big presents. Or at least they'd have to declare it. I've never heard of anyone getting hundreds of pounds worth of presents!

What would I like? Yes, John Lewis or M&S vouchers would be amazing.

It’s not inappropriate if it’s from 30 families! Pipe down. I’d get JL or Westfield voucher (if local!) and a card / Xmasy flowers. I’d also make sure to split with TA!

I do vouchers for my child nursery teachers - this year it’s £25 JL and a neon candle. It’s expensive, but we can afford it, I appreciate them more than I can express and I know they are under paid and under appreciated!

30 children in the class.
Parents giving between £5~10 because that's what they’d have spent anyway.

Thats it. You have at least £150.

Which also shows how crazy all this giving something fir Christmas idea is tbh.

And yet 30 £5 presents (that will look like a lot if tat) will actually be worth that much….