How much is the contribution per family for teachers' end of year gifts at your school?

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I haven't really thought about this before in any depth. Sometimes the organiser has said £5, this year it was £10. The gifts are usually vouchers for John Lewis plus extra items like candles, beauty items, chocolates. This year £340 was collected for dividing between 2 teachers and 3 TAs on a pro rata type basis. Some families do their own thing and give money to the collection. There's usually a collection at Christmas too. Does every school do these collections twice a year? It's voluntary but then there's a list of those who have donated so anyone who can't afford it or doesn't want to join in is highlighted by their absence.

We do a collection. You can donate whatever you like or not at all. The vouchers and card just say from the class, so even if you can't afford it you aren't excluded.

@Mammyloveswine that’s so cute! And something you’ll always cherish x

@Pigsears that would be much better for our school. It's a Catholic one and gets nothing for any niceties. The PTA do fundraising for things like making the playground nicer. The juniors have a basic concrete playground and that's it. Early years had £25k raised for a fantastic outdoor play area. Ds brings home reading books that are falling apart and/or have missing pages. It's really brought home to me this year how our priorities are all wrong. The school ask for a standing order when your child starts school to contribute to resources. The system is all wrong.

Neither do I and I am a teacher.

Never took part in any collection.

DS gave his last primary school form teacher a snowglobe of the football team she supported. It was the end of her first form class ever as she was newly qualified. We all cried in the play ground as she started to cry.

DS always made a home made card. This continues in our household with in joke Christmas and birthday cards made for each other. DH is the best at them he made me a joke one about the bloody pigeons that invaded our garden for my birthday last year as one crapped on my head.

My daughter attends an independent school and we do this. It saves them getting 10 mugs or bottles of wine. Contribution amount isn’t set but I think on average people give approximately £20-30. There are 10 children in her class, 21 in the year (2 x teachers and 2 x TAs). This year we collected just under £500. Each of the 4 got flowers and a spa or John Lewis voucher. We do a similar thing at Christmas though I think contribution tends to be marginally less then.

I really don’t mind it. If I bought them a gift each I would spend the same, and this way they get something they can use/really like. We also did a big personalised card with messages (once this was each child’s hand on paper with a message, all compiled to make a tree). It always goes down well

I mean we also have parking men who work at the school and we even had a contribution to buy them beers… I always give my hairdresser and cleaner etc a Christmas gift also. Obviously we are fortunate we can afford to do this and I don’t for one second assume everyone is in this position

We do £10 per family at the end of the year and possibly xmas too, I can't actually remember. The teachers and TA get flowers and vouchers each time.

@CrabbyCat but it's relaying on one group of parents to input reminders- is that annoying for those parents who can actually organise themselves? Just seems a massive duplication to me. And annoying. What if someone forgets to update the group- what happens then? Plus second information is frequently wrong or patchy

They obviously serve a purpose for some people but I'm glad we don't have one. I would just ask the school directly if I had a question rather than someone who might give unreliable, out dated and subjective information (parents of older kids).

As a single parent I managed to get my son successfully through primary without an unreliable parental reminder/information system.

Our class rep asked us for £50 per child, I nearly died

@YomAsalYomBasal wow! Surely no-one was ok with that?

I believe most people paid it. I couldn't.

The older I gey the more able I am to say no to stuff like that. I think people see generally grateful that someone just says it.

Our class reps did a collection at the end of the school year. It was a fiver. £5 x 30 = £150ish. It meant we could club together and get the teacher and TA something decent. Also it meant £60 wasn't spent on cards but £6 on two nice ones. Far less wasteful overall. 20 years ago now so I expect it's £10 now.

I'm also intrigued by the concept of class reps- never heard of them either! Are they a thing in state schools or just private? What do they do except organise collections and create WhatsApp groups? Are they elected or self appointed? 😅

State too here, though community Is one of our school values, so parent involvement is hugely encouraged by school. People can put themselves forward, or more likely refuse to be put forward by others. The school recommends 2 to support the PSA, older parents oinour group suggest 4 to split the load. It's whoever is willing rather than a big rush of people. They pass on PSA messages about fundraising events and try to get others signed up for that, arrange class catch-up outside school, prompt for sign-up to do reading support, do teacher gifts and everyone gets involved to remind about multi day / World book day / sports day / concert timings / ask questions about after school club or holiday clubs etc. We've been contacted recently for a collection for the funeral of a dad in another class, which has now been funded anonymously all by school parents. DS starts reception after being in the nursery, so our reps are getting the class kids all together in catch-ups this summer (just whoever-can-come basis), which means new starters are getting to make friends before they start as well as the nursery kids meeting their existing friends.

I'm not sure why some view it with such suspicion really, ours is very supportive. Occasionally there are 30 messages suddenly, but that's usually arranging an event or because something amusing has happened. Time spent reading messages is about 5-15 min per week in term time, it's not a major issue.

Collections can go so wrong. I think they put pressure on people too to contribute more than they can afford. Also unfortunately an opportunity for abuse. I have a friend who was asked on whatsapp to contribute towaed a gift where the organiser showed a picture of it - really nice one with kids names and photos etc. It was expensive but as it looked nice and was professionally made people agreed. The cheeky organiser then made the item herself - it wouldve cost her nowhere near what was collected and wasn't even done to the same standard. Everyone thought they were contributing to this professional artwork and instead what was produced was a home project and the money plainly pocketed. Noone pulled the mum up on it - seems people were too shocked or embarrassed to or let it slide.

In a state school? That’s madness

I'm also intrigued by the concept of class reps- never heard of them either! Are they a thing in state schools or just private? What do they do except organise collections and create WhatsApp groups? Are they elected or self appointed? 😅

As a PP said. It’s a useful thing to have, and in most schools you’ll find parents with the time and willingness to do this. I’ll be honest, I wonder if your primary has both a WhatsApp group and a class rep, that have unfortunately passed you by.

I love feeling like part of a community at my kids’ school, and things like that help. It’s another way for parents to look out for one another in small ways.