Tea club - is this so unreasonable?

[Sheepcup]

I'm a school business manager. Tea clubs are the bane of my life. There's always people who don't pay, arguments about people who don't have milk or who work PT and chasing the money is a time consuming job for admin staff. So, when I start at a new school the first thing I do is argue that providing basic tea and coffee is a staff wellbeing thing as well as more efficient and scrap the tea club. This is usually a popular change all round.

However, at my current school, the tea club also used to provide biscuits. I've said school can't do this and staff are responsible for their own biscuits. Seems reasonable to me but apparently not.

The one teacher who is really upset about it won't let it drop. I've suggested she could run a biscuits club if she wants, but obviously she doesn't have time for that, but she's very happy to give me the money and let me do all the work for her biscuits that I don't want. I'm not wrong, am I, that is horribly entitled?

[DevonshireDumpling1]

Tea and Coffee facilities are something that is expected in a staff room. Maybe a roster could be set up so each member of staff takes it turn to buy the biscuits…….
Can’t believe teaching ‘professionals’ are making a big hoohah about this to be honest.

[givemushypeasachance]

Surely consumption of biscuits is more variable than tea/coffee. Most people drink tea or coffee, and per drink price teabags, instant coffee and milk is a cheap outlay for the school. To get biscuits for everyone in would be more expensive, and would people accept own-brand digestives, or is it McVities or bust, how many different sorts do you need to provide, what about gluten free options, people on diets, diabetics, people who just don't like biscuits and think the school should pay for crisps instead...

A box of teabags, big jar of Nescafe and a few pints of milk is one thing. Biscuits is a whole barrel of extra faff. Senior leaders bringing in a box or two of Nice biscuits when it's a busy week great but otherwise everyone take responsibility for their own snacks.

[Thisismynewusernamedoyoulikeit]

I mean, as a non-tea-drinker, it feels sad that the school will buy loads of milk every week but would never buy a biscuit.

But I wouldn't make a fuss about it! Especially as others might not have tea or biscuits.

I've never worked in a school with a tea club. I wonder if it's a regional thing.

[MrsHamlet]

@DevonshireDumpling1

Tea and Coffee facilities are something that is expected in a staff room. Maybe a roster could be set up so each member of staff takes it turn to buy the biscuits…….
Can’t believe teaching ‘professionals’ are making a big hoohah about this to be honest.

We neither have a staff room nor tea and coffee provided.

[BadlydoneHelen]

Tea and coffee contributions paid for termly here- no freebies for us!

[thedendrochronologist]

@DevonshireDumpling1

Tea and Coffee facilities are something that is expected in a staff room. Maybe a roster could be set up so each member of staff takes it turn to buy the biscuits…….
Can’t believe teaching ‘professionals’ are making a big hoohah about this to be honest.

Have you worked in place where it wasn't provided? It so annoying and cause so many frustration. We have no water in our "Staffroom" and fill up from the boys toilet no where to wash spoons either. Imaging you are the last of 12 people to the kettle etc...

And like you say it's really cheap for school to do, only one school I have been to has done this. Most non school workplaces do.

I take a flask now.

OP- biscuit woman is batshit and can buy her own .

[HideTheCroissants]

I’ve never known a school to not have a “tea club” but I’ve also never known biscuits to be part of the club. I take in my own snacks if I want them. Tea club provides teabags, coffee, milk, sugar, dishwasher tablets and squash - that’s it. If you want anything else then that is your responsibility. But I certainly would north expect the school to provide tea & coffee out of its meagre budget - my school is looking at reducing hours (again) and possibly redundancies (again).

[Mumwithbaggage]

It's utter madness in some schools! I only drink fresh black coffee so have always taken my own (have a Bodum coffee press travel mug) but still have always handed in my £2 or whatever a term. I think it's so much nicer for schools to provide the basics - great for visitors too. I've been in schools where people have complained about a visitor having a teabag from the tea club box!

[hagchic]

Tell her that as part of being a 'Healthy School' or working towards this status providing biscuits would not be possible, as you only provide fruit for the children.

[thenightgarden]

What you've said is completely reasonable. Tell the biscuit lady that the school will provide tea, coffee, milk and that's it.

In all the schools I've worked in staff bring in cakes and biscuits etc for birthdays, which provides a smidgen of joy, otherwise people being in their own snacks.

Private schools are a different matter - bread, margarine, fruit, jam, biscuits and free lunches!

[Smeegall]

totally ignore biscuit lady!!!!

she’s ridiculous! Can’t stand people like this.

Remind her that you actually also have a job and don’t have time to get her biscuits. Your predecessor may have been absolutely wonderful and able to get her biscuits but she’s no longer here.

PS I’ve always taken in my own coffee until my most recent school. But now I can only drink decaf and so I have to take that in, and accept that occasionally it’s stolen from me (sometimes right in front of my eyes…….)

[milkonesugar35]

Private school here but all coffee, tea, herbal teas, biscuits and lunches provided by school. It's been a decade since I've worked in state but honestly can't remember ever having to contribute to a tea club!!