Watch Michael Morpurgo talk about the importance of teachers
Sir Michael Morpurgo on the magic of teaching
Thank a Teacher Day 2026 Highlights Video
Watch our highlights video to experience some of the standout moments from this year’s celebration and see how, together, we created another unforgettable Thank a Teacher Day. Thank you to everyone who took part and helped recognise those who make such a lasting difference in classrooms and communities across the country.
See the Day in the Media
Watch school kids reveal their favourite thing about their teacher
Newsround asked kids at schools how their teachers rock and what their favourite thing is about them?
Watch Danny Beard surprise a teacher with former student ten years later
Danny Beard helped reunite Louis with the teacher who helped shape his life
Tesco helps schools celebrate Thank a Teacher Day
As part of Thank a Teacher Day, we partnered with Tesco to give schools the opportunity to access additional support through the Tesco Fruit & Veg Grant for Schools.
Schools that received Thank You messages were eligible to apply for a chance to win £1,000 worth of fruit and vegetables, with 100 grants being awarded to UK schools this September.
We’re proud to work with Tesco to celebrate the incredible contribution of teachers and school staff, while helping schools access resources that support the health and wellbeing of their pupils.
Celebrating the Year of Reading with Thank a Teacher Day
We celebrated the National Year of Reading by highlighting the important role teachers play in inspiring a love of reading among children and young people. Through our partnerships with Book Tokens and The Week Junior, we helped schools recognise the teachers who encourage curiosity, creativity and a lifelong passion for reading.
National Book Tokens Help Celebrate the National Year of Reading
Schools with brilliant thank-you messages celebrating school staff who inspire a love of reading took part in a special National Year of Reading celebration as part of Thank a Teacher Day 2026.
Messages from schools were shared online, highlighting the incredible work of teachers and school staff who encourage a passion for reading and help young people discover the joy of books. As part of the celebration, one school received £500 in National Book Tokens to support its library, while a selected pupil received a £50 gift card, with £10 for every child in their class.
Pupils’ Thank You Messages Make the Headlines with The Week Junior
Pupils across the UK took the chance to put into words what makes their teachers and school staff so special.
We partnered with The Week Junior to celebrate the school receiving the most thank-you messages in each UK region won a free year of The Week Junior or The Week. We also shared our favourite thank you messages from pupils across the UK that were featured in the magazine, putting their own words in print and shine a spotlight on the teachers who inspire them.
Relive Thank a Teacher Day 2026
Meet the 2026 Art Competition Winners
Discover the young artists behind this year’s winning entries that were tasked with drawing or painting your teacher enjoying their summer holidays…
A much earned holiday on a hot air balloon
Ronja, Age 11. Ronja’s artwork, A much earned holiday on a hot air balloon, shows a beautifully creative escape above the clouds. Her piece captures relaxation, wonder and the idea of soaring away after a busy year.
Mr Davey on San Diego Beach
Ethan, Age 9. Ethan’s piece, Mr Davey on San Diego Beach, brings a sunny holiday scene to life. His work reflects a sense of fun and adventure, imagining his teacher enjoying a well-earned break by the sea.
My teacher reading her book in a beautiful meadow
Tovah, Age 5. Tovah’s artwork, My teacher reading her book in a beautiful meadow, captures a peaceful and imaginative moment. Her drawing celebrates the calm joy of reading and the special connection between teacher and pupil, set within a bright, natural landscape.
Meet the 2026 Writing Competition Winners
Discover the young artists behind this year’s winning entries that were tasked with writing a short story or poem about your school or favourite member of staff…
Mrs Mohammed is my Hero
Rakan, age 6, with Mrs Mohammed is my Hero. His heartfelt piece celebrates his teacher’s kindness, patience, and encouragement, describing how she supports her class every day, helps them learn, and makes school a happy and inspiring place.
Read Mrs Mohammed is my Hero
Mrs Mohammed is my hero because she is kind to all students in 1 R H. She is so kind. She lets us go and drink water every day, and sometimes she lets us help her. She wears a black hijab and she is pretty. She shines in the sky like the stars at night. She is proud, and she is honest to the children. The children are kind to Mrs Mohammed too. She always makes us laugh and have fun. She taught us counting by twos, fives, and tens. Mrs Mohammed is strong and brave. She gives us prizes. She looks at me and she smiles. She gives instructions to the children to do our best. She is always feeling happy.
Our School Journey
Harry, age 9, and Tilly, age 10, wrote Our School Journey. Their poem takes us through each year of primary school, capturing the ups and downs of growing up, learning new skills, building confidence, and developing with the support of their teachers every step of the way.
Read Our School Journey
Nursery
We arrived as screaming babies, crying on the floor,
While most of the class were climbing up the door.
Reception
You taught us how to sit in line and listen to what you say,
And sometimes made you wish that home time wasn’t far away.
Year 1
We tried to solve the maths questions, but we didn’t have a clue,
But at the end of the year we could, because of all of you.
Year 2
We always used to argue about who was next in line,
But by the end of the year, the teachers made sure everything was fine.
Year 3
We thought we knew it all before we started at this school,
But you taught us so much more and this makes you really cool.
Year 4
We always walk into the classroom with a smile on our face,
Because you help us grow so much, this school is our happy place.
Year 5
We used to feel so small when we walked into the hall,
But thank you for believing in us, we now stand proud and tall.
Year 6
It is hard to think that very soon, it will be time for us to leave,
But you have given us the confidence to achieve and believe.
A pencil
Angel, age 13, wrote A Pencil. This reflective poem uses the metaphor of a pencil to explore learning, resilience, and growth, showing how mistakes, effort, and perseverance shape who we become, while paying tribute to the teachers who guide and inspire students throughout their journey.
Read A Pencil
A pencil small, a dream so wide,
with every word, I step inside.
A page is blank, the day is too,
waiting for what I will do.
A mistake appears, I cross it out,
that is what learning is about.
Not being perfect, not being the best,
but trying again when faced with a test.
The bell will ring, the years will fly,
like paper planes across the sky.
Yet what remains when school is through,
is the person growing inside of you.
Along the way, our teachers stand,
guiding us with patient hands.
They share their wisdom, time and care,
encouraging us always to dare.
They help us rise when confidence falls,
and cheer us on through classroom walls.
With every lesson that they teach,
they help us grow and help us reach.
Then exams arrive with silent halls,
as nervous whispers fill the walls.
Pages turn and pencils race,
each student keeping steady pace.
Though not every answer comes with ease,
we learn to stay calm under pressure’s squeeze.
For every test is more than a grade,
it reflects the progress we have made.
The final year comes rushing near,
a mix of excitement, hope and fear.
The days we’ve known begin to fade,
like sketches that our memories made.
Then graduation lights the way,
a turning point, a special day.
Caps rise high into the blue,
for every dream we’re chasing too.
We leave with knowledge, strength and pride,
and all the lessons kept inside.
The teachers who believed we could,
helped shape our futures for the good.
Though school may end, the journey’s long,
with different paths and a different song.
Yet every lesson, friend and smile,
will walk beside us mile by mile.
