Gifts for TAs?

[squeakyclean13]

Do you get the TAs an end of year gift? Or just the teacher?
It all adds up when we are on a tight budget and I don't have a relationship with the TAs... But also don't want to be unfair. I'm thinking of Starbucks vouchers, but £10 each is £40. What do you do?

We have a collection where everyone gives a fiver and we get something for the teacher and any TAs

Class collection of £10 per child (I personally think £5 would do) then risk split between TA and teacher

I got everyone a bar of chocolate

M&S chocolates that say Thank You are £5, it's a token gift to show appreciation it doesn't have to be much. Chocolates can be shared with the TAs family if they don't eat them themselves.

As a TA, a card with a nice, personal message in is more than enough. I've just broken up for summer and the teacher has a car full of presents. I only had 2 parents even think about me. It's actually quite upsetting when you see the comparison. I probably know the children better than her and I work just as hard. It would be nice to be acknowledged.

Thank you, that's very helpful. Chocolate it is ☺️

Ouch, I get that comparison is hurtful 😢

We always got gifts for the TAs because it seemed fair to acknowledge all that they did.

That said, I'm pretty sure that no decent TA or teacher will want you to feel obliged to buy gifts that you cannot afford. I'm sure that a thank you card with a really nice message in it would be greatly appreciated.

At my kids old primary there was one fantastic parent who organised a collection. Pretty much every parent put in £10 and was grateful not to have to worry who to give to. With a £300 pot she got a decent voucher for the teacher and lots of smaller gifts. Any TAs in the class were included, she even got something for the office staff and canteen/lunch ladies. Without the collection there is no way individual parents could recognise all these people but they all work hard looking after the children.

I send in break time snacks for the class team as opposed to individual gifts

Just get your child to draw a picture with a message on from them. I'm a TA, and honestly those mean the most as their time and effort has gone into it :)

DS wanted to buy everyone teddies. Male teacher got a teacher teddy so I popped in some chocolate. Female pt teacher who's also DHead got a more specific teddy she'll love, TA got a teacher teddy and I added a gin gift set cos she works hard!

I never left out the TA’s my children had because they worked just as hard in the hours the children were in school and deserved equally as much thanks as the teacher. I also wouldn’t have wanted my kids to get the message that the class teacher was more worthy of our respect and thanks than other adults in their classes. I have an interest to declare in this as a TA now though and I am very thankful for every token of appreciation and thank you gift I’ve received from children and parents.

Reading the poster above who was ignored as a TA makes me even more thankful that the ‘done thing’ in our area is to thank all staff. A small bar of chocolate or a card just so that your child has a token to say thank you is plenty and would be as gratefully received as a £10 voucher.

I'd just spend less on the teachers tbh

We have a collection. More than 2/3 of the class contributed £10. £100 gift card to teacher £50 each to the two TA's. A card and something little to give with it. This is easier for me than trying to come up with gifts for all three within budget alone. They get to choose what they want. I think sometimes we aren't very aware of the TA's as have no contact and your child may not mention them only the teacher.

We’ve got DS’s class teacher and his TA a card each and a 6 pack of curly wurlies. DS chose them, he’s written their card and drawn them a picture.

Agree with this. I don't mean I want a boot full of gifts; I love the cards most and keep most of them. Try and make it a bit personal - I always get mine to write about a specific memory they have of that teacher - so they know they've been appreciated.

As a teacher, we get a gift for the TA. However, if your child has a strong relationship or had significant support from a TA, then you may feel that a small gift might be appropriate.

Thank you all, thats most helpful. I wish I could do a class whip round for vouchers, but sadly the last time I organised it, it was hijacked by a parent who decided to spend the money on hampers which she presented herself 🙄

I think its far too OTT to do a massive thing especially this year with COL. Just get a bar of chocolate.

I always get the tas and the teachers the same, so budget the amount per class (2 dc) the same then split it by however many.

Dc1s class had 2 teachers on job share plus 2 tas, so they got really just token gifts as I bought 4.

Both TA and teacher will get a card written by my child. You don't need to do gifts.

I get the teacher and TAs the same present (normally a voucher). I hate it when the TAs get less than the teacher. They work so hard for a pittance and really do make a class better.

We have done class gifts as well and I always check that it's going to be equal before I give the money as I won't take part in it otherwise.

Normally I'd get chocolates and a nice card signed by child. This year the TA has really supported my DS and been so half's in helping him with issues he has surrounding ADHD, so I've bought her a rose shrub with her name in the roses name.

Gosh that's so harsh. I know to my DD, the teacher and the classroom assistant are the same, she doesn't fully understand the difference in their roles. We'd never dream of buying for one not the other.

We did a collection and split it evenly between the two. If no collection, I'd just get them all something small, or else some nice snack foods to share out amongst themselves.