Almost every leavers hoodie order arrives at the same moment: the pupils' hoodies are signed off, the names list is locked, and someone in the staffroom says "are we getting any?"
By then it is usually too late to do it well. Staff sizes get guessed, the wording does not quite work for an adult, and the hoodies either turn up late or do not turn up at all. It is a small thing, but it lands badly — the leavers' cohort notices when their form tutor is the only person in the year photo not wearing one.
This guide covers how to include teachers, teaching assistants and support staff in a leavers hoodie order from the start, and the decisions that are easy to get wrong.
Why staff hoodies are worth planning for
There are three reasons schools bother.
The first is the photograph. The end-of-year group shot is the single most-shared image a year group produces, and it looks noticeably better when the adults in it are part of the same set.
The second is the leavers' assembly, the trip and sports day — the occasions where staff need to be identifiable in a crowd. A matching hoodie does that job more comfortably than a lanyard.
The third is simpler: staff who have taught a cohort for five or seven years usually want the keepsake too. It costs very little to include them and it means a great deal.
The decisions that actually matter
1. Wording — "Class of" does not work for staff
This is the most common mistake. A hoodie reading "Class of 2027" on an adult member of staff reads oddly, and a back print listing every pupil's name does not leave an obvious place for the teacher.
Most schools handle it in one of three ways:
- Same front design, different back. Pupils get the names list; staff get the year, the school crest, or simply "Staff".
- Same hoodie, added role. The teacher's name and their role — "Mr Adeyemi — Form Tutor", "Mrs Kaur — Year 6" — instead of a form group.
- Identical to the pupils'. Simplest and cheapest, and some staff genuinely prefer it. Ask rather than assume.
If your year group is running a names list on the back, our guide to leavers hoodie name lists and back prints covers how staff names are usually handled within them.
2. Sizing — adult fit is not "the biggest childrenswear size"
Children's leavers hoodies and adult hoodies are cut differently. A child's XL is not an adult small; the body length, sleeve length and shoulder width all differ. Ordering staff hoodies from a childrenswear size chart is the fastest route to a set of garments nobody wears twice.
In practice:
- Collect staff sizes on the adult size chart, in writing, from each person individually.
- Offer both a standard and a women's fit if your chosen garment has them. The difference in body shape is significant and staff will notice.
- Include the extended sizes. If your range runs to 3XL or 4XL, say so up front. Nothing is more awkward than a staff member discovering the order stopped at XL.
- Order one or two spares in the middle sizes. Staff change roles, and someone always joins the year team late.
3. Budget and who pays
Schools split this a few different ways, and there is no standard:
- The school or department pays from a curriculum or leavers budget. This is the cleanest route and avoids staff feeling obliged.
- Staff pay individually. Common, and perfectly fine, provided nobody is pressured.
- The PTA or leavers fund covers it as a thank-you, sometimes from the same fundraising pot that subsidises pupil hoodies.
Whichever route you take, decide it before you ask for sizes. Collecting sizes and then announcing a price is the surest way to end up with a stack of unclaimed hoodies.
One word of caution: leavers hoodie funds are often collected from parents. If staff garments are being paid for from that money, be transparent about it. It is rarely controversial, but it is much better said in advance than discovered afterwards.
4. Timing — add staff at the start, not the end
Staff hoodies almost never justify their own production run. Added to the main order, they cost very little extra and arrive with everything else. Added two weeks later, they become a separate job with a separate lead time, and they may miss the assembly entirely.
The practical rule is to treat staff numbers as part of your initial quantity, not as a follow-up. Ask the year team for sizes at the same moment you ask pupils. If you are not sure of your wider deadlines, our guide on when to order leavers hoodies sets out the full timeline.
5. Choosing something staff will actually wear again
Pupil leavers hoodies are memorabilia. Staff hoodies get worn on playground duty, on trips and at Saturday fixtures for years afterwards, which changes what makes a good one.
Staff tend to prefer:
- A darker colour that stays presentable through a wet term.
- A smaller, subtler front logo rather than a large chest print.
- Embroidery over print on the chest, because it survives repeated washing better and looks smarter with everyday clothes.
- A zipped option, which is easier to get on and off over work clothes than a pullover.
It is worth offering staff a slightly different specification for exactly this reason. It usually costs no more, and the hoodies get years of use instead of one term. Our guide to choosing leavers hoodie colours is a useful starting point if staff garments are going in a different shade.
A simple order checklist
- Confirm who is included — teaching staff, teaching assistants, office staff, site team, or all of them.
- Agree who is paying, and say so openly.
- Decide the staff wording and whether the back design differs.
- Collect adult sizes individually, in writing, from an adult size chart.
- Add one or two spare mid-sizes.
- Send staff numbers with the main pupil order, not afterwards.
- Check the artwork works on the staff garment colour before sign-off.
Frequently asked questions
Can staff hoodies be a different colour from the pupils'?
Yes, and plenty of schools do it deliberately so staff are easy to spot on trips and at sports day. It is worth checking how your artwork reads on the second colour before committing.
Do we need a minimum number of staff hoodies?
It depends on the garment and the decoration method. Because staff hoodies are normally added to a much larger pupil order, small staff quantities are usually straightforward — ask us when you request your quote.
What about staff who join partway through the year?
Order a couple of spares in mid sizes at the outset. Re-running a handful of garments later is always more expensive and slower than including them first time.
Should staff names go on the back with the pupils'?
That is a school decision. Some year groups include staff names in the list as a mark of respect; others keep the back print for pupils only and give staff a plain back. Both are common.
Can we add a leaving gift for a retiring member of staff to the same order?
Often yes. A personalised hoodie or a piece of embroidered kit can usually be produced alongside the main run. Mention it when you enquire so it can be quoted together.
Getting a quote
Send us your pupil numbers, staff numbers, garment colour and any artwork you already have, and we will quote the whole order in one go — pupils and staff together, on one timeline. Browse the leavers hoodies range or get in touch to get started.
