Teachers end-of-term gifts at private schools 'could be seen as bribery'

Parents’ end-of-term gifts to teachers in some private schools have spiralled out of control, prompting schools to consider whether they constitute bribery or corruption.

One teacher was offered a diamond necklace, another a Hermès handbag and a third the keys to the parents’ foreign villa. A headteacher was also singled out by a chauffeur who delivered a case of burgundy in exchange for a tour of the school – and an expected place at it for his child.

The growing largesse of Britain’s wealthiest parents is highlighted in the latest issue of the magazine Tatler.