Tim, a teacher at a private school in Cheltenham, says what means the most to him is when students have written a card or a note themselves.
“I’m a physics teacher and I’ve got a terrible sense of humour,” he confesses, so he particularly likes it if the students pick up on his fondness for corny puns.
Tim, like plenty of teachers, says he doesn’t want parents to feel any obligation to give a gift.
Most schools have rules over the value of gifts teacher can accept, limited to £30 or £50 typically, and discourage cash gifts altogether.
“I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea for schools to point that out and say, look, if you’re going to buy something, make sure you keep below X amount,” says Tim.