School Leavers Gift Ideas

We make cards, pin badges and prints in the UK. We don't sell laptops, textbooks or bedding sets, so this is a straight guide with the card at the end.

Leaving school is a bigger emotional event than most gift guides admit, especially at eleven and at sixteen.

The gifts that land are the ones that record who they were with, not what they achieved.

Finish it with a card

A leavers' card everyone signs is the gift they'll still have in ten years.

Whose a Clever Girl (Funny Graduation Card) Whose a Clever Girl (Funny Graduation Card) £3.75 Illustration of a smiling graduate in a cap and gown on a congratulations graduation card for him. Congratulations! You Did It Graduation Card For Him £3.87 Graduation card for her featuring a cheerful illustrated character wearing a black graduation cap and gown. Congratulations! You Did It Graduation Card For Her £3.87 Whose a Clever Boy (Funny Graduation Card) Whose a Clever Boy (Funny Graduation Card) £3.75 Whose Gonna Make The Brews Now? Leaving Card Whose Gonna Make The Brews Now? Leaving Card £3.87 Greeting card featuring a cartoon illustration of a pint of dark Guinness stout wearing a black graduation cap. Cheers! Congrats On The Graduation (Guinness Graduation Card) £3.87

Browse congratulations cards

Keepsakes

  • A leavers' book the whole class signs, which beats any bought gift.
  • A framed class photo, or a print of the school building.
  • An enamel pin badge or keyring with the year on it, small enough to keep on a bag for years.
  • A memory jar the class fills with one note each.

For the next stage

  • A rucksack, pencil case or water bottle for the new school.
  • A diary or planner for Year 7, where organisation suddenly matters.
  • Headphones for sixth form or college.
  • A book with a message written inside the cover.

Class gifts and under £10

  • Personalised pencils, badges or bookmarks for the whole class, cheap in bulk.
  • A signed shirt or a signed print, which costs nothing but a frame.
  • A group card everyone writes in properly rather than just signing.
  • A photo printed for each child from the year.

For teachers and staff

  • A card written by the child in their own words, which is what teachers actually keep.
  • A class-signed print or book, better than thirty separate mugs.
  • A voucher pooled from the parents, given with one card from everyone.
  • Include the TAs, the office staff and the caretaker. They're almost always forgotten.

Browse congratulations cards

How to write it so it lands

  • Signatures beat shopping.
  • Pool for one gift, not thirty.
  • Remember the TAs.

Where to shop next

Frequently asked questions

What do you give a school leaver?

A keepsake that records the year - a signed book, a class photo, a pin badge with the year on it - plus something practical for the next school.

What is a good Year 6 leavers gift?

A leavers' book signed by the class, a memory jar, a pin badge or keyring, or a rucksack for Year 7.

How much should a class leaving gift cost?

A few pounds per child pooled into one gift works better than thirty individual presents.

Back to blog