11 best teacher gifts to put a smile on their face

Show your appreciation with these thoughtful present ideas

We’ve found ones they can eat, ones they can keep and ones they’ll be sure to show off to friends

(The Independent)

Teachers have had yet another turbulent year, with their classroom doors opened and closed at the drop of a hat, and having to swiftly become fluent in Zoom and ClassDojo.

While many school uniforms have collected dust this academic year, good teachers still deserve an end of term treat to thank them for all of their efforts during this unpredictable time.

So, to help alleviate some parent admin pressure we’ve been on the hunt for the best teacher gifts around.

You of course don’t have to buy solo, you may choose to buddy up with another classmate to splurge a little more on a present, and for that reason we’ve included a mix of price ranges from the crème de la crème to smaller tokens, such as cards.

It’s also important to remember that teachers come as an assortment, and it’s not the case that one size fits all in terms of gifting. We’ve found a range of gifts to suit different tastes, with ones they can eat, ones they can keep and ones they’ll be sure to show off to other teacher friends. We have regarded personalisation highly as it really does make presents that little more special.

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You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world and expert advice. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across TheIndependent.

The best teacher gifts for 2021 are:

• Best overall – Martha Brook any hobby foiled notebook: £12.95, Marthabrook.com
• Best personalised gift – Morse Toad chocolate memory box: £12.25, Morsetoad.com
• Best for a teacher who’s hard to buy for – One4all gift card: From £10, One4all.com
• Best for organising – Papier academic year diary: £21.99, Papier.com
• Best for relaxing – M&S time for you gift set: £49.50, Marksandspencer.com
• Best for kind words – Pocket Tiger thank you very much leopard print card: £2.85, Pockettiger.com
• Best for lager lovers – Beer Hawk beer gift box: £20, Beerhawk.co.uk
• Best for pampering – The White Company Seychelles and nail gift set: £26, Thewhitecompany.com
• Best for extravagance – Fortnum’s blanc de blancs champagne, 75cl: £44.50, Fortnumandmason.com
• Best for coffee connoisseurs – Hotel Chocolat the tasting selection: £19.95, Hotelchocolat.com
• Best for language teachers – Mint Maker Studio personalised teacher stamp: £18, Mintmakerstudio.co.uk

Martha Brook any hobby foiled notebook

Best: Overall

Teachers get through notebooks like they’re going out of fashion, so how about treating them to one that’s a little bit special that they’ll want to treasure? We love this stylish personalised softback notebook from Martha Brook – choose from real gold, silver or rose gold foil and have it filled with 140 pages of lined or blank white paper, as well as an extensive list of hobbies. The notebooks are hand produced in the brand’s west London studio and are made to order, so if the hobby you want isn’t included, just type it out.

Buy now £12.95, Marthabrook.com

Morse Toad chocolate memory box

Best: Personalised gift

This gift is as unique as it gets without costing the earth. A truly thoughtful present, personalise the creamy and caramelly Belgian milk chocolate with up to 22 characters and you can add stars and hearts, too. If you want to go that extra mile add a framed photo – we think a class snap is a nice touch. As the brand says: “Some things are better said in chocolate”, and we concur.

Buy now £12.25, Morsetoad.com

One4all gift card

Best: For a teacher who’s hard to buy for

For those who say gift cards are a cop out present, we’d disagree when it comes to the One4all gift card. Available in an exclusive “thank you teacher” design, give teachers the gift of choice by allowing them to use this hassle-free card at more than 55,000 stores and websites nationwide, including high street favourites such as John Lewis & Partners, M&S and Argos.

And if you’re not going to be seeing your teacher before the end of term, you can opt for the One4all digital gift card, meaning you can send an instant digital gift to your children’s teacher via email or text – a completely contactless solution. It can be customised with a photo and a message, or even a video for an extra special thank you.

Buy now £10, One4all.com

Papier academic year diary

Best: For organising

Teachers love nothing more than a bit of organisation and this is a seriously good-looking companion for their desk. Running from 21 August to 22 July, there’s a mix of pages to get your ducks in a row. From handy weekly and monthly overviews to deadline trackers. Because this has been designed with students in mind, it actually resonates incredibly well with teachers. We love that it can be personalised too, and there are so many designs to choose from. At A5 size it’s great for when they’re on the move – because, you know, teachers have a life outside of school too.

Buy now £21.99, Papier.com

M&S apothecary time for you gift set

Best: For relaxing

When it comes to the end of an academic year, teachers just want to hit pause, and rightly so. But it’s not always that easy to switch off. For those struggling to embrace a little “me” time, this luxury gift set from M&S’s apothecary collection will make a heavenly gift. Relaxation in a box, this set is brimming with treats scented with its signature “restore, balance and calm” fragrances, all specifically blended to help you unwind.

Inside the well presented box are three candles, three reed diffusers, three aroma oils and three linen sprays, in every fragrance. You’ll also get a pulse point oil, bath salts and a hand lotion and wash, in the dreamy calm scent. To top it off there’s a headband and eye mask. And relax...

Buy now £49.50, Marksandspencer.com

Pocket Tiger thank you very much leopard print card

Best: For kind words

Sometimes a card says it all, especially one as eye-catching as this from Pocket Tiger. We love the colourful leopard print and shiny gold foil lettering – we even framed it as it looks great on a desk. Plus, it’s been hand designed in the UK by artist Eleanor Bowmer and made with FSC mix paper, so it’s worth showing it off.

Buy now £2.85, Pockettiger.com

Beer Hawk beer gift box

Best: For lager lovers

Craft beer is having a real moment and for good reason. With so much choice, selecting the right tipple as a gift is no easy feat, but this Beer Hawk gift box will be a sure sign of your appreciation. Included in the gift box are five beers, a packet of Indie Bay rock salt pretzels, and a Beer Hawk dunkel glass drinking vessel – just what a teacher needs at the end of term. We’re a big fan of the packaging, plus there’s a designed gift tag on the side so the present giver can proudly sign their name.

Buy now £20, Beerhawk.co.uk

The White Company seychelles and nail gift set

Best: For pampering

All that marking, board writing and lesson planning means that, come the end of an academic year, teachers’ hands are in need of a touch of TLC. Seychelles, The White Company’s bestselling scent, is a true treat for the nostrils (and the hands. Presented in a beautiful gift box, this lovely set includes a hand wash and moisturising hand and nail cream. With notes of bergamot, amber and vanilla, this duo is sure to remind them of dreamy far-flung holidays gone by.

Buy now £26, Thewhitecompany.com

Fortnum's Personalised blanc de blancs champagne, hostomme, 75cl

Best: For extravagance

A bottle of fizz goes a long way, particularly one carrying the Fortnum & Mason name. A personalised bottle of its finest Blanc de Blancs champagne, which is delightfully quaffable, is certainly one way to show your child’s teacher some appreciation. You can write up to five lines, so make sure your little student gets involved by creatively composing.

Buy now £44.50, Fortnumandmason.com

Hotel Chocolat the tasting selection, coffee

Best: For coffee connoisseurs

While the need for caffeine might slope off for a few weeks, coffee lovers are sure to perk up with this gift. Hotel Chocolat has now applied its chocolate expertise to coffee and the result is pretty special. Introducing five distinctive-tasting blends in both recyclable pods and whole beans, the tasting selection allows you to sample all five (we’re huge “rocket” blend fans). You’ll get 60 coffee pods in total, 10 pods of each blend and 20 pods of its most popular, “the one”. Naturally, all coffees are well complemented by chocolate. If budget allows, the mellow baton library (£18, Hotelchocolat.com) contains 45 solid chocolate batons of the brand’s signature 40 per cent milk, caramel and white chocolates. Gift givers will get to add a free personalised message card too.

Buy now £19.95, Hotelchocolat.com

Mint Maker Studio personalised teacher reward rubber stamp

Best: For language teachers

This personalised wooden stamp is a lovely addition to any teacher’s stationery collection. Hand cut and custom made, simply add the name of your teacher and choose from one of three symbols: a smiling star, smiley face or thumbs up. You can even include a special reward or catchphrase that they’re known for. This is a particularly great option for foreign language teachers as there are French, Spanish and German options.

Buy now £18, Mintmakerstudio.co.uk

The verdict: Teacher gifts

We love the tailor made touch with Martha Brook’s any hobby notebook, it’s thoughtful, useful, and incredibly well made –­ plus it’s super affordable. Alternatively, foodies will love Morse Toad’s personalised chocolate boxes.

Voucher codes

For the latest offers on food, drink and other gifts, try the links below:

• Hotel Chocolat discount codes
• Ocado discount codes

For more gift inspiration, we’ve found the best presents for five-year-olds and one-year-olds