Large end of year teacher/Head teacher gifts

[Vigjilenca]

The end of academic year is upon us and PTA mums have started collecting money for end of year gifts. My son is doing Y1 and it's my second year of being shocked on the amount of money people raise for teachers at this CoE primary school. Usually, they raise the following sums converted in gift vouchers:

• Around £500 for a teacher
• £250 for TAs
• £2000 for Head teacher and assistant

This year mum are also collecting for a teacher who is leaving. I mean, I work at uni and whenever I change jobs, I get a vouchers from colleagues. I can't imagine asking students to contribute. This just feels wrong to me...

Personally, I don't think parents need to give teachers an end of year present for doing our jobs.
It started some time after I left school so I was really taken aback when I started teaching and found that it had become a thing.

I thank the children and parents for any gifts that I receive although I would genuinely prefer that they saved their money and just gave me a card.

If I was given the amount of money (or equivalent in vouchers) described in the op then I absolutely would be embarrassed. In fact I would be completely mortified but, hopefully, would be able to thank parents convincingly and not show how I felt.

Gosh . I work on an organisation that works with children regularly. Often people want to give us gifts or money in cards . We have had to state that we can not accept any gifts at all. £ 2000 for a Head is crazy money just for doing her job for an academic term . So can she look forward to a summer bonus every year from now on .

I just didn't.
A sincere handwritten card thanking the teacher/TA/afterschool staff with specific examples of how they had helped my youngest dd was enough for me.

I hope they are reporting these amounts to HMRC, that’s taxable income.

Set up a new anonymous email address and email them...

I'm shocked the headteacher would accept that amount, particularly considering how little TAs are paid.

That's a good question. I've heard that headteacher's gift is split in smaller vouchers to not make it feel huge overall...but these are just rumours...

Report to your education authority, these amounts are breaking the hospitality rules and will need to be de lared.

It would have been better to raise funds for equipment for the school such as fans and air con rather then gift vouchers for teachers.

https://www.edapt.org.uk/support/knowledge-base/teachers-receiving-gifts-from-parents/

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/acceptance-of-gifts-benefits-and-hospitality

25 per family is hardly outrageous if that’s what it comes out to. In various schools across state and private I’ve seen anywhere from £20 to £50 per family. People routinely spend £20 a birthday present for a child in the class so it feels fair to give at least that to the hugely under paid teaching staff who often go above and beyond. We’ve ended up this year with £250 per teacher x 2 and 100 per TA x3.

At the primary mine attend they banned individual gifts over £1 (to allow cards). Instead people can, if they wish, contribute something to a pot that goes toward something the teacher has asked for to use in their class. Nobody knows who contributes what money wise.

DS3’s teacher got a box of glue sticks and a box of pens that she particularly loves this year. When she was DS2’s teacher a few years back it was a contribution present, but they hadn’t done wish lists and she got a set of scissors for the whole class and cried because it was something she thought she was going to end up buying herself.

it’s ridiculous that teachers are buying basic supplies themselves so this is a way of getting around the ban and helping them out at the same time.

Yes I do know this. But I don’t know if you’ve ever had children who attend school? The expectation that you get an end of year gift is real and I don’t want to be known as the stingy parent who never gets anything. Nor can I be fucked sourcing my own teacher gifts so it’s easier to chip in to the class gift

Surely teachers have rules around this. Other government workers are unable to accept gifts. I’m sure receiving several boxes of chocs, flowers etc,
is very different to receiving a £500 gift voucher. I would not be donating to this, as I think its outrageous they are giving such huge amounts and yes the head needs to put a stop to it. It’s different too when a parent what’s app group collects but even then should be a limit, but this sounds like the school themselves are asking. Really is wrong.

I only see this on MN.
I work as a TA and there is never this influx of gifts that people think. Yes a lot of people buy the teacher something (usually chocolates, wine, stationery, plants) but not everyone, and the occasional few also gift to the TA but the majority do not. If you are working with a kind teacher they will sometimes share out their stash.

I think it is all very area dependent and I would also not expect parents at our school to be gifting large amounts (deprived area so cannot afford it).

I have stopped donating. Although I appreciate the job they do, I find it barmy that such a thing is done for someone who is doing their job. Imagine if we did this for everyone!?! It would be a logistical nightmare. But we don't do it for anyone else and that's why I haven't donated.

My last job was in a posh independent school. It was made clear to us we couldn't accept gifts worth more than £250. I got the odd bouquet / bottle of champagne but no Tiffany bracelets etc. my best gift was a teapot and a huge card from the class. .

My sister is a teacher and when she went on maternity leave, the parents gave her £500 in cash in an envelope and told her not to declare it 😳

I'll be a massive minority but clearly in the real world im not as you have these donations...

I don't get how People how are most likely happy to pay 12.5% automatic service in any restaurant no matter how shit the service think £10 x 30 for a teacher at Christmas is crazy...

I value the education my children are given.
I think many Teachers are woefully underpaid and undervalued.

Our school gives similar.
I have zero issue with it.

I would rather kick in £30 or so to make an few educators christmas joyful and bountiful and forego one singular weekend jaunt to gails with my dh and 2 kids and get coffee and pastries (which real speak costs about £30).

I am also happy to give £££ to benefit the school.

We gave our CM a big fancy hamper and a case of wine each year and a £400 voucher to cover a trip to a fancy spa hotel when we left (she was tending to and caring for our children - why wouldnt we show our thanks)

In the NHS there are rules around this. I can’t remember the exact amount but i think it’s to the value of £50 max. No cash and no vouchers even under the amount. Gifts tend to be chocolates and biscuits. We sometimes also get tea and coffee for the staff. Some families brought in extra takeaway pizza if they were ordering late on.

Theae kind of figures are bonkers.Affluent area or not. I’m not saying a small gift:thank you card is not appreciated but wow.

The size of the head teacher gift is grotesque. They are paid very well even in the state sector, he/she should be donating that money to the school or using the vouchers to buy something for the school. Or ideally just calling a halt to gifts to the head. At my DDs private school, any gifts the head teachers receives are shared with more junior teachers and the admin staff.

Wow!!!

Our class managed about £200 which is to be split between 2 teachers and 3 TA's 🫪 Plus some chocolates for the maintenance team/office staff.

Between 60 sets of parents thats an average of £3.33
Add in the chocolates and we can call it £3.50....

A coffee costs more on my high street

They should be declaring them to school over a certain amount at the very least

I'm a class rep and we have a collection for the teacher and TA only. Christmas and end of year.

I tell people it's optional, just for those who want to chip in. I'd say we get over half chipping in and the amount ranges from £10-£20.

The teachers tend to be generous too and give the children small gifts at Christmas and end of year.

Not right to make it compulsory though, or to dictate how much. Should definitely be optional as some parents won't want or won't be able to give- even in an affluent area.

You're assuming everyone has 2 sets of parents. Not the case in any of the classes my children have been in.

I've also had parents contact me, anxious as they can't afford even £5, especially around Christmas time. I'm in an outwardly affluent area but there's a real mix of families as the truly rich people tend to send their children to private school.

Jeez - it was just a handmade card, and a small box of chocolates when my kids were at school - just to class teacher.

This all seems totally OTT.