Oxfordshire school introduces £50 cap for teacher presents

St Helen and St Katharine School in Abingdon said extravagant gifts were putting staff "in an awkward position"

An independent school has introduced a £50 cap for presents to teachers.

St Helen and St Katharine School, in Oxfordshire, said extravagant gifts and cash-equivalent vouchers were placing staff "in an awkward position".

A letter to parents at the £5,490-a-term school in Abingdon said students could present non-cash gifts to the value of more than £100 as a group.

School bursar David Eley said it had a "great" relationship with parents but needed to "ensure strong governance".

The letter, which was first reported on by Schools Week magazine, said presents received by teachers must not include cash, but could include cash-equivalent presents, like vouchers.

In a statement Mr Eley said: "As a charitable organisation, we are obliged to have a policy in this area to ensure strong governance.

"We have issued a letter to parents to provide clarity and to prevent placing staff or parents in an awkward position."

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Mr Eley added the school had "a powerful sense of community which is built on this kind of transparency".

However, the £50 cap surprised some on social media.

Simon Emin commented that £50 was "steep", adding: "In my day it was a bottle of Blue Nun if they were lucky!"

Others on Twitter said they preferred to receive homemade gifts.

One person wrote: "There's no need to go all out. One of the best gifts I ever received was a personal handwritten note by a child". She said that the gesture had "melted her heart".