Teachers – whether they are based in a primary or secondary school – work incredibly hard to ensure their students get the best possible start to life. Of course, teachers’ efforts will pay off when pupils get good exam results, but schools ought to reward their staff.

Even if you think that providing children with a fantastic education should be sufficient reward for teachers, it’s always a good idea for headteachers and other members of senior management to go that extra mile in showing their appreciation.

Teaching, after all, can be something of a lonely profession. Even in large schools teachers tend to spend significant amounts of time working on their own, so it is important to make them feel an integral part of a wider organization that values and cares for them.

Offer Away Days

Giving teachers the chance to go on away days isn’t just a good way to thank staff for the effort they put in, but can also help them to cultivate positive relationships with their colleagues and encourage them to work as a team when back in school.

If this is something you are thinking of offering teachers in your establishment, however, it’s advisable to select activities that will be suitable for as wide an audience as possible. Take into account factors like age, personal interests and level of fitness. Obviously, if the teachers in your school largely consist of women who are in their 50s and 60s, something like white-water rafting or paint-balling might not be the most appropriate pursuit.

Clearly you won’t be able to arrange for staff to go on away days during term time, so these will have to be organized for when children are off school. How about a team-building session in August just before the beginning of the new academic year? That way, teachers – and in particular new members of staff – will feel like part of a unified team by the first day of term.

Use Corporate Gifts

Another great way to reward teachers is through the use of corporate gifts. Whether these are given out at the end of term or form part of a ‘teacher of the month’ scheme, promotional gifts can go some way towards creating a positive working environment and enforce the idea that your school cares for its staff.

Indeed, research from the British Promotional Merchandise Association indicates 56 per cent of people claim to have developed a more positive impression of a brand after being given a promotional product.

Obviously, the choice of which particular products you distribute among your workforce is up to you, but it is best to select items that can be used time and time again. Whether it is a photo frame or paperweight, promotional gifts are likely to be retained for a long time and, by customising them to feature your crest or school motto, they should help to build a great team spirit in your school. Even something as simple as a pen or a mug can act as a physical reminder to teachers that the school appreciates the work they do.

With companies such as 4imprint producing a fantastic range of promotional gifts, you can be confident of finding something that will be a suitable reward for your teachers.

How does your school reward its staff? Do you think there are any ways this could be improved?