School Leaving Gifts — Hand-Carved Benches & Storytelling Chairs
A school leaving gift from Free Range Designs is a hand-carved oak bench, storytelling chair or plaque that your leavers give to the school — carved with your crest, a motto, the year group or every pupil's name. We make each one by hand in our workshop in Mid Wales, and schools, PTAs and leavers' parents have been ordering them for over 20 years.
Quick answers
- Price: carved oak plaques from £180, mushroom stools from £150, storytelling chairs from about £660, and personalised school benches from about £1,890 to £2,940. All prices include VAT.
- Cost per pupil: a £2,000 bench split across 60 leavers is about £33 each. See the table below.
- Pupils' names: yes. We can carve the year group, class names or every leaver's name, on the bench itself or on an engraved oak plaque fixed to it.
- Purchase orders: yes. Schools can order on an official purchase order, and we invoice against your PO number. We're happy to fill in supplier forms.
- Lead time: around 4–6 weeks from approved drawing to delivery. For a July presentation, get in touch by May half term.
- Delivery: anywhere in the UK, carefully packed and ready to place.
School leaving gift ideas
Buddy Bench
from £2,000
A playground bench where no child sits alone. It's carved with your group's name and quote.
School Crest Storytelling Chair
from £1,090
Your crest and motto on the backrest. It becomes the heart of the reading corner.
Skylark Bench
from £2,310
Carved skylarks and a "Fly high" message, sized for four children. Made for Randwick Primary.
"Together We've Grown" Bench
from £2,090
A bench built around a carved tree. Made for Duston Eldean.
Friendship Bench
from £1,890
A cosy two-seater for the playground or quiet garden.
Storybook Bench
from £2,940
The legs are carved book spines. We can carve your leavers' favourite titles.
Carved Oak Plaque
from £180
Add the year group and names to a bench, a tree or a wall.
Mushroom Stools & Log Seats
from £110
Good for a smaller class or for forest school, or as an add-on to a chair.
Storytelling Arch
from £3,890
A carved entrance for a big year group or a whole-school leaving project.
How much does it cost per pupil?
Most leaving gifts are paid for by a parents' collection, a PTA fund or leavers' fundraising. Here's roughly what each family would put in:
| Gift | Price (inc. VAT) | 30 leavers | 60 leavers | 90 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carved oak plaque | £180 | £6 | £3 | £2 |
| School crest storytelling chair | £1,090 | £36 | £18 | £12 |
| Friendship bench | £1,890 | £63 | £32 | £21 |
| Buddy bench | £2,000 | £67 | £33 | £22 |
| Skylark bench + names plaque | £2,490 | £83 | £42 | £28 |
Have a fixed budget? Tell us the figure and we'll design to it. Simpler carving or a smaller size can bring a bench down, and a plaque can be added later.
Carving your leavers' names
A leaving gift should say who gave it. Send us your class list (as a spreadsheet or a typed list is fine) and we'll suggest the best place for the names:
- On the bench: along the front rail or the top of the backrest. This works well for one class.
- On an engraved oak plaque: fixed to the bench or to a wall nearby. This is best for a large year group.
- A dedication line: for example, "Given by the Leavers of 2027", with your crest, motto or a quote the children chose.
You'll see a drawing with every name before we start, so the spelling is checked before anything is carved.
Ordering with a purchase order
- Tell us your idea and budget. Email or ring us with the gift you have in mind, the number of leavers and the date you need it by.
- We send a quote and a drawing. You get a written quote showing VAT, plus a drawing of the design with any names and wording, ready for the head, the bursar or the PTA committee.
- Raise your PO. Schools order on an official purchase order, and we invoice against your PO number. We'll fill in new-supplier forms and send our bank details on headed paper. Parents' and PTA orders are secured with a 50% deposit.
- We carve it. It takes around 4–6 weeks in our workshop, and we send photos before it leaves.
- Delivery to school. We deliver anywhere in the UK. You can also pay by card, PayPal, bank transfer or cheque. See payment options.
When to order for a July presentation
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January – Easter | Start your collection or fundraising, and send us the idea and your budget. |
| By May half term | Approve the drawing and the names, and raise the PO or pay the deposit. |
| June | We carve it and send progress photos. |
| Early July | Delivery, ready for the leavers' assembly. |
Running late? Tell us your date. We're a small workshop and we'll always say honestly whether we can make it.
Questions schools ask
Can the bench go outside all year?
Yes. It's solid oak, built for outdoor use, and it weathers to a soft silver over time. A coat of outdoor wood oil once a year keeps it looking its best, and care instructions come with it.
Do the prices include VAT?
Yes, every price on our website includes VAT. Your quote and invoice show the VAT separately for the school's accounts.
Can the children help with the design?
Yes, please. Many schools send us the children's drawings, a word each pupil chose, or a vote on the animal. We turn them into a carving.
Can you match our school colours or crest?
Yes. We carve crests and logos in relief and can hand-paint them in your colours. Send us the logo file, or even a photo of the jumper badge.
Do you install it?
We deliver ready to place. If you want it fixed down, we'll tell you exactly how, and it's a simple job for a school site team.
Is it a memorial bench?
It can be, if a leaving gift also remembers someone. Most leaving gifts are simply a thank-you, though. Browse our memorial benches for ideas either way.
What else do you make for schools?
Storytelling chairs, reading thrones, arches, circular seating and composting toilets for forest schools. See our storytelling chairs and furniture for schools.
Planning a leaving gift?
Tell us how many leavers you have, your budget and your date. We'll send a quote and a first sketch.
Ask for a quote Call 07508 993227