Tell notonthehighstreet.com what you’d give a great teacher – chance to win £300 voucher - plus teachers: share your ideal gift NOW CLOSED

[JustineBMumsnet]

The end of the school year is fast approaching, (or perhaps already here for some of you), and notonthehighstreet.com are keen to hear how your children show appreciation to their teachers at the end of the school year.

Here’s what notonthehighstreet.com have to say: “Whether you're overjoyed about the little one's grades or just want to say thanks for coping with a whole class of kids, we've hundreds of brilliant gift ideas that'll leave teacher smiling 'til next term”

Visit this page they have pulled together with ideas for teachers gifts and tell us which ones you think your child’s teacher would love to receive (and you’d love to give!) by leaving a comment below.

Teachers of Mumsnet, we know you might well say no gift is necessary but if your arm was twisted, we’d also love to know what your ideal end of year gift would be.

Everyone who posts on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 notonthehighstreet.com voucher!

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

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If the teacher has been particularly fabulous then a posh card with a nice message in it. Also an email to the Head with the teacher copied into it.

Class collections for vouchers are best.

We have a class collection and then each child is given a piece of card to write a note or draw a picture on. These are then bound into a book. All the children are included whether or not their parent contributed. We get vouchers with the money so the teacher can choose what they want. Our teacher loves shoes and always appears in September with a new pair she buys with the money from her last class!

Oh and I will also write her a card from me. She has done a great job this year and I want her to know that I've noticed and appreciated what she's done!

I'm the class rep for both my children's classes this year (yes nuts I know) and we've done class collection for both Christmas and end of year. End of year we've actually got something form notonthehighstreet!! We ordered them yesterday morning and amazingly they've arrived today all personalised too! I was v impressed. We will also have vouchers to accompany these gifts.

It's actually cheaper to do it this way and yet get them something meaningful I think. The average contribution hasn't been a lot (between £1-5 per person) but we collect enough to give for example £50 vouchers and present each.

If I were a teacher, I'd like that.

I'd like to get a thank you gift for the nursery staff but am not sure what, so am watching this thread with interest. Back when I was at school everyone took a box of chocolates for the teacher on the last day.

I think chocolates, flowers, a candle or a voucher are great presents for a teacher. Surely they don't need 30 best teacher mugs, or 30 homemade decorative bits of tat!

We normally give a home made card along with a gift. One year I made up a plate of single sachets tea bags individually wrapped, normal tea, green tea, fruit tea and a cake, so they could share it in the staff room. Other years I have given small toiletry sets from the Xmas sales

Im unsure of the whole present thing as i;m not sure a teacher would want items for 30 children every year and surely they don't keep them?

My little boy will however want to take something as all his friends are so we will make a home made card and take a bottle of wine which I'm sure will be appreciated..... or this is what my teacher friend wishes people would give her anyway =D

But on a daily basis he behaves well (mostly... he didnt yesterday as had a meltdown over doing his sentences wrong haha) but most.. he behaves well, is polite and remembers his p's and q's. I think thats whats most important

I've ordered personalised tote bags from eBay. They aren't expensive but I thought they would be useful for marking etc and a fun way to remember the year.

Both my DCs are now teenagers and have several teachers, so I think that individual gifts for teachers is not really appropriate. ALL the teachers and staff in their school are fantastic, so at Christmas and the end of the school year they take in a really nice large tin of biscuits for the staff room as a small token of our appreciation.

Usually im lucky enough to get love sanctuary gift sets or similiar in 75% off boots sale in january.
However this year son has male teacher and support asssitant along with his usual 1to 1 help he gets part time.
So with my Mum being a local artist and getting a business off the ground as she prepares to retire from teaching herself . They all getting beautiful mugs. Mum has done some amazing landscapes paintings in her own quirky style and had them made into prints, tea towels, notebooks , mugs etc.
They selling really well in local gift shops and least with these i know they wont of had 10 dozen of same before :)

DS is at nursery rather than school, but I don't want to get into the habit of paying out for tat that the teacher will just put in the bin.

We make a card...and that's it.

We usually get a tin of biscuits for staff office.
Then kids do like to make them a card & take in flowers for teachers & chocs for ta's
I did think a bottle of wine would be more appreciated but thought it would just be weird my 7 yo handing over a bottle of processco saying -
'congratulations you survived another school year!'
My kids enjoy giving them x

Nothing nicer than receiving a handwritten letter on lovely stationery. I'm a fan of simple things that can be enjoyed with other senses such as scented oils (nice ones, nothing cheap) good editions of classic books. A box of teas or coffees or a good old fashioned large bar of chocolate.

We prefer to give something slightly more thoughtful than just throw money at it. For example this year we've made handmade cards with a flower on them and used a lolly to be the centre of flower and stalk. NOTHS do some lovely handmade alcoholic lollies that we've used. With 2 children in different schools with two PT teachers each we can't spend too much!!

This year we've gone for a handprint card and some chocolates

DD1 loves drawing, so will probably make a card. We try to get presents that suit the teacher's personality. Some we know like sweets and chocolate. Her teacher last year told terrible jokes, so she got him a joke book, and a pen with a vw campervan on it, because that's what he drove.

Years ago, at her nursery, she loved gardening. They called her 'Name hedgehog'. When she left, we got them a stone hedgehog ornament for the veg patch. I met the nursery owner a couple of months ago, and she said, 5 years on, it's still there. A bit weathered

When one of ds's teachers left he school, he chose a lovely card, and wrote a very lovely note in it. I know she really appreciated it, because writing was something he struggled with, and she had been a big help.

Our son is just about to finish his first year at school and I'm not sure how I feel about this whole gifts for teachers thing. Yes I am very pleased with the progress he has made and this is partly down to his teacher and classroom assistants for which I'm very thankful but I'm not sure where this whole presents thing has come from as my parents never gave them when I was at school.

Some of the parents in our sons class have asked if we want to put into a group collection so they can pool the money and buy vouchers however I feel this is quite impersonal and would prefer to give the teacher something just from us to show our thanks.

Instead of buying a gift I think I'm going to make something and get our son to make a card rather than lining companies pockets who I think have jumped on the presents for teachers bandwagon as a way to make extra money. I think something handmade means a lot more than something which you've picked up off the shelf or ordered off the internet.

We have bought DD2's teacher a voucher for Afternoon Tea for two which she can use any time. We also made a card on moonpig which both DD and I wrote messages in thanking her for her support and help over the last year.

My teen has just finished year 13 and bought her form teacher a mug which says 'Mrs xxxxx coffee' on it but it only shows when the mug is hot. Apparently this was very popular and DD has been asked by a few other teachers where she got it from.

I am a firm believer in making sure that teachers know they are appreciated. I have spent more than I would normally this year, but then again, DD2's teacher has gone above and beyond in supporting DD through a tough year and I appreciate that so much. And I've made sure I've said that in her card.

I encourage my son to make a card for his teacher. I feel that a handmade item that has taken some thought and effort is as welcome as an expensive gift. I also think him behaving well and doing as asked is the best present a teacher can get.

Don't recall ever giving presents to my teachers when I was in school but maybe my parents were just stingy!

I don't know if its the custom where I live to give presents to teachers but when DD leaves her daycare next year I want to give something because they have been so great for her. I'm thinking something to benefit the whole daycare, so maybe a boardgame for the children, or art supplies, or maybe some books of English language nursery rhymes (the main teacher has an English husband so she must know them) and then I'll probably bake some biscuits for all the staff.

A handmade card from the DC and fancy biscuits or chocs go down well. I try to avoid giving things that just add to the teacher's tat hoard and 30 items is a lot.

Teacher here. I'm on maternity leave at the moment and really appreciated the handmade cards I was given before I left. I liked the children's comments (sample quote," I hope you have a good baby"). I can tell they enjoyed making them.

It feels so polite when they make a thank you card. I like to think that we are encouraging them to become well mannered adults!

I don't expect presents, but edible goods are always a good choice. I sent thank you cards to the pupils/parents who gave me a present for the baby, so I've tried to set a good example right back at them.

I bake cupcakes for the teachers and get my son to help with decorating them. I have a few pretty cake holder boxes which make the cupcakes look extra especial. I don't believe in tat like mugs etc teachers must get loads over the years. With a cake they cab have a little treat and still be appreciated

I've never got involved in all this 'buying for teachers'. From what I've experienced, its just another opportunity for parents to be lavish and try to 'out do' one another. Instead my children have great attendance, are punctual , well behaved and mannered and eager to learn. I think that's far more important personally. If they have been particularly fond of a teacher they have made them a 'thank you' card at the end of term.