About maternity leave

[Herbie22]

I'll keep this a brief as I can
I am a teacher. I finished work in April to have DD. I need to return to work in September as a full time CT as we can't afford more time off (New school/surprise baby so only maternity allowance).
My friends, also teachers at different schools, have asked if I am going back on the last day of July term so I get paid for the summer.
Is this really cheeky? Has anyone else in a similar situation done this? Can they say no?
Thank you.

They all do it.
It's a loophole that needs closing

Why does it? You can't make someone take 6 weeks maternity leave they don't want and you cannot refuse to allow someone back after maternity leave.

2014 should they also ban other professions from taking their annual leave at the beginning or end of their maternity

Yes I know! I am also one 😂. We are still entitled to accrue the holidays we miss when on mat leave!

Where's this noimagination? No state school I know of allows accrual of holiday during mat leave.

waffles80 I teach in Scotland. I was on mat leave for 6 months and was therefore entitled to half my holiday entitlement therefore I was able to take almost a month of paid leave. I had been off over Christmas and Easter.

Noimagination that must be a Scottish thing, never heard of that from anyone who had maternity leave..

I went back on the 25th of May - a Thursday - I am part time and work Mon-Wed so got paid for this half term, I went back this morning! With my first (perfectly timed September baby) I worked for a week in September then started Mat leave, went back on the last day of term. My deputy told me to do this!!!

No holdiays accrued for me - I have a friend in private who got holidays but no one I know in state in England.

It seems to be standard in Scotland. I got 2 days holiday for every week of holidays I missed while on maternity leave. Ended up with an extra month off!

That's definitely just a Scotland thing.

Please please ring your union to get them to double check your continuous service. I left one school and was pregnant by the October in my new school -oops! But they took my years previously as continous service so I still got full mat entitlement, different councils too. Another friend was told no in a similar situation but just argued it through the union and got the full entitlement

teacher this was my NQT year. Very very very surprise baby 😳 But thanks for the suggestion.

Hope you get it OP.

You dont have to go back at all. you can put you return date as the first day of the holidays.

You need to get in now with a return date as you have to give 8 weeks notice if a change in return date. Every teacher I know, birth date allowing, has done this. Feel no guilt - maternity pay in this country is not great and childcare costs ridiculous, play the system as best you can.

Ah! Fair enough in that case fill ya boots!! Go back day 1 of summer!!

Agree with everyone it is standard. It is only the same as folk in other jobs accruing holidays, which you can't do in school (or, reading this thread, then I'm going to have to save in English schools - never realised Scottish teachers could).
My only thoughts are, if you are having a class from September, it would benefit you to have knowledge / done some prep before you start, so you might be better going in for a week rather than a day, so you can hopefully do some transition work with the previous teacher.