With the average spend on end of term gifts for teachers rising fast, Julian Stanley asks what will teachers be getting this year?

So what presents will you be getting this year? Chocolates? Flowers? Jewellery? Toiletries? Money? I am not talking about presents for Christmas, Hanukkah or for any of the other religious festivals coming up. I am talking about end of term gifts for teachers.

The amount of money parents are spending on their child's teacher at the end of term is rising fast. Last year, research by Debenhams revealed that the average amount spent was now £50, with some families spending from £100 to £300, if they have more than one child, and all this is in the middle of a recession.

Gifts range from chocolates and flowers, to handbags and jewellery. One teacher in the Debenhams survey was even offered free use of the parents' Spanish Villa.

Teachers' gifts are so profitable that it has become an industry in itself, with cards, gifts, advertising campaigns and now websites targeted at parents struggling to find the perfect gift for their teacher.

However, profitability can bring certain pressures. Even a cursory search on the internet reveals forum after forum from concerned parent wonderings how much they should spend or worrying about the consequences of not giving enough?

Yet, with so much pressure on parents, what do teachers really think about these gifts? Earlier this year, we asked readers of the Teacher Support Network's e-newsletters about the gifts they received at the end of term.

80 per cent of the teachers that responded said that they received presents from their pupils at the end of term, with 62 per cent receiving gifts two to three times a year. The vast majority (45 per cent) of the teachers that took part in the survey received presents at the end of the school year, although 38 per cent were given gifts for Christmas or other religious holidays.

As with the Debenhams survey, the gifts received by our respondents ranged from chocolates to flowers to toiletries. One Secondary School teacher said that "departing Y11 forms usually [give] something personal e.g. Doc Martens boots, books, personalised mugs." Another said they had received a "Cross fountain pen, valued at £100".

Most of the teachers who responded to the survey said that they were "happy" (36 per cent) or "grateful" (37 per cent) when given a gift.

"Proud that they think I deserve it! Happy that their child and them must be happy with my services," explained one teacher. "Feel appreciated that the students have valued my help / support," said another.

Some respondents, however, felt "awkward" (10 per cent) or "embarrassed" (9 per cent). Others were concerned.

"I do worry, as my class are nearly all from low income families," said one respondent. "Concerned that they have spent their money on me when they need every penny," said another when asked how they felt.

One teacher was simply confused.

"Confused: sometimes I get them from pupils who I thought hated me due to their poor behaviour!"

Interestingly, many of the respondents to the survey said they did not need presents.

"It is only in the last two or three years that I have received quite so many presents. A card with a nice message would be plenty," suggested one teacher. "I don't expect a gift, but it is lovely when you do. Also it's nice to have written thanks from pupils and parents," said another, adding "it's good to feel appreciated and that they have made that effort for you".

For me, it is this appreciation that is key. Parents and pupils do want to say thank you, but perhaps we need to consider how we help them show their gratitude in a more appropriate, cost effective manner. Should schools and school leaders welcome personal thank you cards or notes and then suggest a donation to a charity of choice perhaps? A thank you to a charity supporting children or teachers, such as Children in Need, NSPCC or even Teacher Support Network, would not only eliminate the awkwardness felt by some parents and teachers, but it will be a gift that lasts long after the end of term.

For more of Julian Stanley's SecEd column's, click here.