A pack of knickers, petrol station bonus points vouchers and a home grown lettuce! Teachers reveals their WORST end of year presents

A 5-pack of knickers from a supermarket, a bonus points voucher for a petrol station and slug eaten, allotment grown lettuce are among the strangest end-of-term gifts received by teachers.

As schools break up for summer, parents and pupils look to reward teachers and classroom assistants for keeping youngsters' lessons going through the past Covid disrupted year and the ordeal of remote teaching and home learning.

Now teachers have shared their memories of the bizarre gifts they have been given in a study carried out for online premium treat supplier Cartwright and Butler.

Aftershave for a female teacher, out of date boxes of chocolates, bottles of exotically named holiday-bought tipples, along with a guidebook to St Paul's Cathedral and a CD of party songs, are on a list of items that have prompted a bemused look from teachers.

Teachers have revealed the worst presents bought for them by parents at the end of the year

Sun cream was received by several tutors, while gifting of home-grown vegetables has been far more common than before lockdown.

While teachers responding to the survey were at pains to point out that any gift was graciously received, a scented candle was the one they found hardest to give house room to.

This was closely followed by a mug, pot plant, toiletries and a cake made by a pupil.

Almost six in ten, 58%, of teachers said if parents were to give a gift, they preferred a joint present from the class rather than from individual students. Some two thirds, 67%, said they did not expect to receive anything while 52% valued any present.

Lauren Whittaker from Cartwright and Butler said, 'We carried out the study after being approached to make up a suitable hamper for a teacher which the class wanted to give and we wondered what teachers would like to receive.

'Many of the inappropriate gifts we were told about would have been given with the best of intentions and received in the same spirit, though they may have raised a wry smile at the time.

'It has become more popular for teachers to receive gifts and this year will have been hard for both school staff and students so there may be more gifting than normal. Offering homemade items may be considered inappropriate this year because of Covid.'

'If they are to be treated then it appears teachers prefer a joint present which everyone can contribute to if their circumstances allow.'

However, one teacher warned pupils to check their spelling when signing a thank-you card, saying:

'Don't write 'Your the best teacher ever'. 'No matter what the present, it made me feel a total failure!'

www.cartwrightand butler.co.uk/hampers-gifts/hampers-gifts-recipient/teacher