Christmas gifts for teachers

[Bellagi]

Hi - new to this area (London) and wondering what the norm is for collections. I have an older child and a younger one and im being asked for £30 per child for Christmas for teachers presents.

It's normally £20-30 yes.

That is outrageous, it really is.

Wow!! Our class group started on £10 per child but we decided on £5 because some parents have a few kids!

£30 is crazy and more than I would spend on quite a few family members!!

It ended up being us asked for 55 per child, to cover all teachers/support staff. This was split into a fund for Christmas and end of year presents.

As a teacher, I would be horrified to think families felt they had to contribute anything! Don’t get me wrong, a box of chocolates or bottle of wine are always a lovely gesture BUT certainly not expected and some cohorts it might be a few handmade cards. If you have the money to give and are happy to, then obviously that’s your choice by 30 per family x 30 children is a gift/voucher worth 900 for the teacher??
My own son will take in small token gifts for his teacher and TAs and a gift voucher for his childminder (who he’s been with since he was 9months old!)

What?!
No!
Unless this is some private school thing.

It is ridiculous and OTT, even if you do live in London. As a teacher it can be really embarrassing to receive over-lavish presents. Even in independent schools there are plenty of families managing their budgets closely who don’t have this kind of cash to throw around.
I would opt out. Write a nice card to the teacher/get your child to make something nice (a card or something tiny)- job done.

I have kept the lovely cards I’ve received and always been moved by tiny kind gestures and would be horrified if my class’s parents were feeling pressured in this way.
It can feel frightening to stand up to the WhatsApp mafia though. However, it would help lots of others if you were to do so.

Our class have donated an average of £10

That's £300 for the teacher and TA

It's a ridiculous amount. Opt out and just buy a box of nice biscuits for the staff team to share.

Hell no! £10 split between the staff that work in the class in our private prep. It's a gesture of thanks, not a personal gift for a friend.

That is insanity! Is it a private school? No one I know does this. It’s personal choice whether to give anything or not at my kids school and it’s just a small token like a bottle of wine, if you want to. I would not be handing over any more than £10 per child personally.

Its private - works out to 300 for the class teacher plus other teachers get 50 each, plus support staff 30 each

Bit much the teacher gets £300 and the support staff £30 they work very hard on a very low salary

@purser25 i agree so wanted a bigger share of mine to go to support. It was anonymous so i dont know what others paid but probably a lot more

West London state primary (nice area, more wealthy than not). No suggested amount anything from £1 to whatever you want, most put in £20 for teacher and TA, although this is actually split between teacher (gets most), TA(next) and then support staff. There is a formula but I have no idea. Some put in more, some less (or maybe nothing). Seems to work and teacher gets about £300.
Don't know if this seems low for a wealthy school but there is constant requests for prizes, bottles, cakes, hot chocolate etc to sell/raffle and monthly contribution to the governor's fund.

Sending your child to a state school can still cost a couple of thousand a year if you contribute to everything!

For us, its £25 per child BUT that is for

• christmas cards and gifts for teachers and TAs
• end of year gift for teachers and TAs
• summer raffle contributions
• something else i’ve forgotten

so it covers everything. That’s all you pay for gifts, raffles etc all year.
It’s also definitely not compulsory (everyone can sign the shared cards, nobody knows who has paid or not). Private school, but kids on bursaries with very little money as well, or SENDs kids with fees paid by the council)

That's terrible. DS is in reception at a private school. Parents were each asked to give £20 for Christmas gifts, which was split evenly between the class teacher and 3 TAs. Why should the support staff get less?

Our private prep people donate what they would like to, or nothing. I’ve been the class rep and organised it a few times, range is £10-20 usually. Happens twice per year Xmas and summer. Most people usually take part but no one feels obliged to I don’t think, teachers & TAs typically get about £150 John Lewis vouchers or similar. It is equally split between the teachers and support staff. I kind of view this as part of the private school ‘deal’.

That’s insane. I buy a scented candle for each of the teachers. Literally wouldn’t know the TA’s if I saw them. Bonkers to spend £30 each. Bonkers.

Tell them you’re doing your own personal presents because you want to use the opportunity to involve your child in choosing thoughtful gifts for the people they spend all day with and to teach them to appreciate their education.

Then write each teacher/TA a card and buy them a cadburys snowman.