Headteacher having a baby.

[newbieman1978]

Should a headteacher have to discuss/justify their maternity leave plans? (with parents)

Just to add parents have been informed of the plan governors have put in to place. Deputy will act up and temp brought in to cover deputy's class.

[Missunreasonable]

No, why should they?
They are having a baby and are entitled to have up to a year off work. End of.

[concernedaboutheboy]

Erm, no. None of their beeswax

[AllotmentQueen]

Discuss/justify it in what way?

If the pg has been announced and mat leave date sorted, with plans for cover, then that's all the parents need to know - it's none of their business beyond that!

[pippibuzzmarten]

Sounds like the school have acted reasonably and I guess parents would have a reasonable expectation to know that she was going off, but no way should she have to discuss finer points or justify herself, that's just crazy!

[Cheebame]

What else do you want to know?

[PatriciaHolm]

Of course not. If parents know what the interim plans are, no problem. They don't need to know any more.

[whatsagoodusername]

Beyond being told what dates the head teacher will be away, and how this absence will be covered, I can't see how it's anyone's business.

[Itsfab]

What Cheebame said?

You sound pissed off, OP. What is the issue?

[jeee]

Gosh, I'm just imagining a head 'justifying' their maternity leave to an angry mob at the school gates.

No, of course they don't need to justify or explain anything.

[Lweji]

:) No!

That's what deputies and temps are for.

Discuss is bad enough.
Justify is completely unreasonable.

[ShoeWhore]

It sounds like a reasonable plan has been put in place OP. What would you like the HT to discuss? It's not really for parents to decide how the school is managed day to day.

[Pooka]

No teacher should have to justify or discuss their maternity leave plans with parents. Head teacher or not.

The school has come up with a plan and this has been agreed with the governing body and communicated to patents and that's the end of it.

[Lweji]

If you ever need to talk to the Head Teacher, the school will refer you to the person acting as Head Teacher. Simples.

[OrangeTart]

No she shouldn't. Having seen how much work and pressure goes into being a head I can't imagine how anyone would cope with that as well as being pregnant not to mention having a baby.

[Lweji]

Were you hoping to be included in the decision of how long she takes?
What is there to discuss?

[newbieman1978]

Yes a little pissed off! My wife is the headteacher and though she has been given many congratulations from parents has also been inundated by requests for meetings from individual parents to "discuss" provision while she is away.

[LetticeKnollys]

Absolutely not...

What exactly is supposed to happen if the school gate mob decide that her mat leave is not justifiable? She is a worker with rights to sick pay, maternity leave etc. just like everyone else.

[Missunreasonable]

Maybe some psycho parent thinks that as a headteacher she should only be allowed to take 48 hours mat leave to recover from the birth and that any longer should be justified due to the (non existent) impact on the education of psycho parents child.

[Missunreasonable]

X - post.
Newbie - congrats on your wife's pregnancy. Please tell your wife that she has no logical reason to need to justify her pregnancy or mat leave to anybody.

[GhoulWithADragonTattoo]

Is the deputy well liked and respected in the school? If not that might explain the anxiety on the part of the parents. For what it's worth the plans sounds sensible and I don't think your DW should feeling inclined to have one on one meetings with parents. She should simply set out cover plans in a letter to all.

[Lweji]

Ok, rephrasing it:
Were they hoping to be included in the decision of how long she takes?
What is there to discuss?

Madness.
But some parents are just so important and essential, as their precious offspring.

[Kundry]

She should just refer them all to the statement issued by the school. On no account should she attend any meetings with individual parents about their precious offspring!

[newbieman1978]

I've told her she shouldn't have any meetings with parents about her maternity leave and cover and should direct them to the chair of governors.

The deputy is liked though is new (ish) to the school, there has been quite a few pregnacies over the last year or so, so parents are feeling there has been quite alot of disruption.

The school is in a "very" middle class area so parents are very active at best and quite impossible as worst.

I just wanted to judge the feeling on here which is actually exactly what we thought ourselves.

[ShoeWhore]

Absolutely your dw is not under any obligation to justify arrangements to the parents! Ime though, parents get anxious and antsy when there is a vacuum of information (if that makes sense?). They may be fretting about the deputy's ability to step up or perhaps worrying about what the supply teacher will be like? A few well chosen words in a letter home might just quieten things down - a balance of empathic yet firm

[newbieman1978]

Being on the frontline is very difficult as I'm sure many a parent will know and teachers will know all too well. I reckon it's a fairly unique situation to be in as a head (being pregnant). It is very difficult to "not" be a position where you have to discuss the plans of the school.