What do primary schools want as a present?

[elliejjtiny]

I normally get the teacher and teaching assistant a box of chocolates and a card at the end of the year.

This year my youngest is leaving primary school, 15 years after my eldest started there. I wanted to do something special this year but I can't think of anything really meaningful and tbh I do wonder if they would rather have a big box of glue sticks or something like that.

Money

We opted for books for the school library.

Money for the school

Or our primary school had a benefactor who paid for the whole school to go to the local pantomime.

i usually do a £5 supermarket voucher or coffee voucher

Funding?

For their teacher or the school as a whole? For class gifts we've always clubbed together with other parents and given vouchers which have gone down well.

For the school what they really need is money. Maybe book tokens for them to purchase books for classrooms/the library? Or play equipment? Money raised by the PTA paid for a science show to visit school which went down really well as something fun for the kids. It's probably worth asking one of the senior leadership team what would be best.

As a year group we all clubbed together and got a coffee machine/ supply of coffee for the staff room when DC1 left primary. When DC2 left again we clubbed together as a year group and got some new play equipment for the playground.

At my DC’s old primary, the Yr6 parents tended to club together and contribute to something to benefit the school. In DC1’s year, it was a friendship bench; in DC2’s year, the school initially asked for some books for the library but then a load of us offered to clear out our bookshelves and donate those and so they changed the request to some board games and other wet lunchtime activities. In the year between my DC leaving, it was outdoor play equipment, The friendship bench has a plaque on it to say which year group donated it which couldn’t be done with the board games and nor with the outdoor play equipment so they now have a thing in the school hall where they have a photo of the Yr6 leavers and a sign saying what they gave. On the odd occasion that my now teen DC are in the school, they always like to go & have a look at this.

Money, or class basics like prittsticks, pens, pencils, paper.

They emphatically do not want another best teacher mug etc.

I was wondering this too. DS leaves this year and being on a low salary I can't afford to get much but if we all put together we could get something more useful than mugs and key rings!

A lovely card and something small like a chocolate bar for the teacher; and for the school, book tokens for the school library. As a nice touch you could always order a few bookplates with “Given by the family of [all your children’s names]” on them. Or just design some on the computer and print out to be stuck into the front of the books!

From experience (ex ta) it would be glue sticks , pencils and some of those big wind up pencil sharpeners. Most teachers I worked with would bring their own sharpeners from home.

When my DC were at primary school we always did a class collection. Kids signed a card and we gave a voucher from those who wanted to contribute. Usually a M&S voucher.

Thank you. Joint gift sounds lovely but I think most other people have already bought individual gifts. I'm on a tight budget so it's hard to find something meaningful for £20ish.

A nice hardback book for the library, perhaps a treasury of stories or poems?

For individual gifts vouchers. Even if it’s a smaller amount. Being able to buy a Starbucks/costa before school always makes the day better.

I always included TA’s/lsa’s as they work so hard for about £12-15k a year whereas teachers earn around £40k and up.

if you want the staff to be grateful then a box of board pens or glue sticks is actually always needed. I know the school I work at is struggling for money this year due to a falling roll so gifts like this would be very helpful. And save staff money as often purchased out of own pocket.

or something like a tea/coffee hamper. Something long life that can sit in staff room cupboard over the holidays.

Being a teacher, I can honestly say I do not want parents to spend money on me at such an expensive time of year. What means everything to me is a card with sincere words written in it. Examples of how I've helped their child and expressions of gratitude for lunchtimes I have given up etc. I'm a secondary teacher so perhaps I'm a little different. We get far less appreciation!

Thank you. There is a book that my youngest is really enjoying reading at the moment so I was thinking of giving a copy of that.

I honestly don’t think any teacher wants children’s books, boxes of chocolate or novelty mugs. Send them a card and £20 M&S voucher, they can buy themselves dinner on you.

Well, the book would be for the school library, not the teacher. But I agree about the mugs.

Yes, the book would be for the school library or the year 6 classroom, not for the teacher.

Most schools would love glue sticks and whiteboard pens.

something like a tea/coffee hamper. Something long life that can sit in staff room cupboard over the holidays

Some great ideas here. I like this one above. Something like this can stay in the staff room for everyone when they get back in September. Also the idea of whiteboard pens and glue sticks!

I'm wondering the same. I think I'll just get my dd to make a card for the teacher and get these for the staffroom. www.amazon.co.uk/Border-Luxury-Mini-Biscuits-Variety/dp/B0CPFK1Y52/ref=asc_df_B0CPFK1Y52?mcid=25037e195d22369884cd19c4a9bd8c6b&hvocijid=15445694452635137507-B0CPFK1Y52-&hvexpln=74&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15445694452635137507&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006886&hvtargid=pla-2281435177818&psc=1&gad_source=1

Raid the local charity shops for books - fiction and non fiction. Usually they are in very good condition and start at about 30p each. You could make a big difference to their school library.