Discounts for Teachers and Support Staff: Best Deals

What discounts for teachers and support staff are available in the UK?

As a former teacher myself, I know just how demanding the job is and how hard teachers work. Despite this, while there are a range of discounts for teachers out there, there don’t seem to be as many as there are for other public sectors.

I also know that when I was full time in the classroom I rarely ever took advantage of teacher discounts – I just didn’t have the time or energy to seek them out, even though some were included in my union membership.

To try and make life easier, I have put together all the discounts exclusively for teachers available in the UK in this post and my honest opinion on whether or not they are worth it.

My top tip for time strapped teachers looking for discounts

Don’t have time to read the full article or scour the internet looking for teacher discounts?
My top tip is join Discounts for Teachers and Teacher Perks – they are both free and collate many of the offers available from individual providers such as Apple and Hilton.
Make a note of the offers from the companies you shop at regularly. For me these would be Haven, Boden and the 40% off cinema tickets offer.
Bookmark the sites and check them both every time you are making a purchase – easier said than done to remember, but it’s a start!

Teacher Perks

Teacher Perks is an online discount site for teachers, and is a great place to find teacher discounts from different providers all in one place. In order to sign up for the site, you will need to name your school and use a school based email address.

This is a good thing, as it means the majority of offers available are genuinely exclusive for those who work in education or public sector. There were a few that are generic to other offers sites, such as a free Graze box, but this wasn’t at detriment to the quality of other more exclusive offers available.

Offers available through Teacher Perks include:

• Up to 30% off a new car with Motor Source Public Sector
• Up to 25% off Hilton Hotel stays (you will need to present your school ID card on check in)
• The Cinema Society – up to 40% off cinema tickets at a range of participating cinemas including Odeon, Reel and Empire.
• 20% off sitewide at FatFace (excludes sale items)

In order to claim each offer, your education based email needs to be inputted (this autofills to the one used at sign up) and then you are either taken through to an exclusive link or given a code to redeem.

Discounts for Teachers

Discounts for Teachers is similar to Teacher Perks in that it acts as a “broker” for teacher discounts and collates offers in one handy place.

Unlike Teacher Perks, no proof of having an education based email or proof of employment at a school was required which immediately made me suspicious of how “exclusive” some of these offers actually are for teachers. I daresay that some may be available elsewhere on other general discount and cashback sites.

However, there were still some decent offers and some do require proof of teacher employment at the point of booking, so they are genuinely exclusive offers with eligibility criteria to meet.

Offers available through Discounts for Teachers include:

• Up to 15% off at Haven
• Up to 40% off cinema tickets
• Up to 35% off at Seasalt (Limited Time Offer)
• 10% off full price items at Boden

Discounts for teachers available through NEU Membership

As a teacher in the UK, union membership is vital to protect yourself in a variety of professional situations. If you are a teacher reading this, you are probably already well aware of the importance of having a union and most teachers are encouraged to join a professional union during their training period or as they become newly qualified.

The good news is, being a union member opens up a range of discounts. The NEU, for example, has the MyRewards programme offering its members exclusive discounts on a range of products including insurance, solicitors and will writing.

However, I have noticed a number of other websites offering incorrect advice that the NEU membership is free. This is not the case unless you are a student. In fact, full time teachers can pay up to £203 for annual membership depending on their position on the payscale. If you are a teacher, you probably know this anyway, but just in case, here’s a link detailing NEU membership rates.

Union subscriptions are usually taken straight out of your salary, in a similar fashion to childcare vouchers, so it is something that most teachers just accept as a necessary expense. So with that said, getting these discounts on top of the other union benefits is an added bonus, but it is certainly not the driver for being a union member.

Apple Education – 10%

Teachers and staff working at all levels are entitled to 10% off selected Apple devices, as well as university students and parents of students making the purchase for their child. See the current eligible products here.

International Teacher Discount Card

The International Teacher Identity card is another membership exclusively for teachers and university professors. To get an International Teacher Identity Card, you need to present a letter on official school or university stationery confirming that you are employed at a recognised educational establishment for a minimum of 18 hours per week and for a minimum of one academic year. As well as this, you’ll also need to present one of the following and a passport sized photo:

• Passport
• Birth Certificate
• An official identity card issued by the official authorities

This membership entitles you to up to 40% off flights and 5% off STA travel insurance, as well as a range of other discounts. The “up to” is the key here…are those 40% off flight prices eligible within the school holidays I wonder? 

The good news is, you are able to browse the available discounts before you commit to joining. At the time of writing, there was nothing that leapt out at me at being worth the £12 annual membership, as many of the offers look like they could be found on other discount sites.

FAQ

Do teachers qualify for the Blue Light Card?

No, unfortunately teachers do not qualify for the Blue Light Card, however many of the Blue Light Discounts are available through the Teacher Perks and Discounts for Teachers websites outlined above.

Do teachers get a discount for Amazon Prime?

No, unfortunately teachers do not get a discount at Amazon Prime. However, if you are new to Amazon Prime, anyone can get a 30 day free trial here.

Other ways to save money 

You don’t have to be a teacher to use the following products, but they are some of my favourite cashback and discount products:

Airtime Rewards – Get cashback on your mobile phone bill every time you shop

Cheddar App – Link your cards and get cashback when you shop in store and online

Topcashback – New members can get a £10 welcome bonus on a range of offers

KidsPass – Get access to a range of discounts on cinema, restaurants and family days out via a paid membership.