AIBU to ignore GCSE results queries during holidays before maternity leave?

[LilyGreenJade]

Currently 38+5 pregnant. Teacher and so fortunately finished for the summer as normal in July. Had it not been the summer holidays, I would have taken maternity leave at 37 weeks anyway. DH and I have also been ill for a few days this week with a fairly bad stomach bug.

GCSE results’ day yesterday. Only Heads of Department and senior staff expected to be in school/contactable on the day, which I am not. This is stated in contract.

Received an informal Teams’ message from Head of Department yesterday saying they needed to speak with me regarding a particular student (a simple case of organising a remark which only HoD can do anyway) and could I let them know when I was free to talk. I felt really annoyed that firstly I was being contacted during the holidays, secondly that they are fully aware I am close to my due date/would have been on maternity leave otherwise, and thirdly that there is nothing I can do to help. HoD has form for passing on work which is their’s to do. I ignored their message. I then also had several students sending me messages on Teams late last night regarding remarks. I very briefly replied to them saying to speak to the HoD.

I emailed the HoD and Deputy Head Academic this morning explaining that although I had seen the overall results, I was not really in a position to begin analysing paper breakdowns, discussing remarks, and contacting students/parents. I said I was happy for any remarks to be processed. As of tonight, I have had no reply.

YABU - results are important and you should be involved as their teacher.
YANBU - You should not be contacted during school holidays as per your contract, and especially given the proximity to your due date and that you would have been on maternity leave anyway if not for the holidays.

I initially put YANBU but think i misinterpreted. If you arent on mat leave/ weren't pregnant how would you respond? If you are on holiday, is it not usual to have an out of hours/ not in work response on your email and why would you reply to Teams on same basis..

If you haven't started maternity leave then YABU

Oh no not another post about teachers working, most professional people have to do it and also work long hours often in their own time too, it's not just teachers just noone else mentions it. Yawn.

Pregnant or not, teachers are not paid for the Summer holidays. Your annual salary is divided over 12 months but only covers term times plus a small number of weeks holiday pay.

Pretty sure they get the standard 5 weeks paid holiday, so let's say they are paid for half the summer off

In other years, when not pregnant, would you feel it was OK to reply and deal with these queries? If you aren't on maternity leave yet, then you should continue to do the same work as you would do ordinarily. I don't actually think it's unreasonable for a teacher of GCSE students to deal with GCSE results/remarks for a day or two over the summer break. It's part of the job, no?

If you're officially on maternity leave, then obviously that's different.

You have remained on full pay not using up any mat leave in the holidays therefore should interact around exam results the same as anyone else. At my child's school all their teachers were there, getting them to sign the forms for reviews etc. If you don't scrutinise a marginal script for one of your own, who's handwriting you are familiar with, then they could miss out on timely advice about which paper to submit to get the extra one or two marks that you might be able to see have been missed. This can mean the difference between being allowed to enrol on a particular A level or not. It can also mean being able to apply to a particular university or not when the time comes. So you either act like a committed professional or start your mat leave ticking and stop taking the piss. You can't act like you've shipped out and also remain on full pay. These kids get one chance. That's you. Were you not excited to get your results, pouring over them to see who's near a boundary, etc? Its a huge day for teachers. Well, for those of us who can be arsed. Btw, its not holiday like ppl who get 25 days. We don't get 13 weeks paid holiday. We get a normal amount of paid holiday and have our wages divided into 12 equal installments due to the term time nature of our work.

If you are not on the leadership pay scale then you do not work in school holidays - that’s what your contract says. Maternity and pregnancy are irrelevant.

You are on your annual leave.

Not being paid to work.

People don’t work when they are on holiday.

Teacher and HOD here and personally I would have dealt with this myself but kept you in the loop via email, but not expect a reply. In fact I'm currently doing so for a colleague of mine in my department, who isn't about to start maternity leave! A parent contacted them about getting hold of their paper and if they can look over it before requesting a review of marking. The parent had copied me in to the email. I replied and said I would review it for them and would let them know if I thought a review would be needed. I don't want my colleague working at this point in the holidays, they could be on a beach somewhere the other side of world! However, in my school, as a HOD, I'm meant to work results day.

What a sheltered life you lead

This is your school holiday for which you are unpaid. A lot of people seem to forget is that is a teacher you are only paid for the 195 days you do during the year. Remind your head of department and the students of this fact, and if your head of department becomes difficult about this, refer it to your union. You are not expected to work during the summer holidays and it will be quite easy for your head of department to work out whether a student is likely to move up or down after a remark.

Really, 195 days for full time equivalent pay and holiday allowance that's pretty good going.

"You have remained on full pay not using up any mat leave in the holidays therefore should interact around exam results the same as anyone else"

She is not paid to work during school holidays so not sure why that's relevant. Not working for free is a healthy boundary.

I agree with the healthy boundary just want to know why it's only teachers that whinge when they go outside it 😂

Because we know that it annoys people like you. 😂

We are well aware, hence why you get bad name 😂

We were given a bad name to start with, might as well lean into it 😂

No not from the start older teachers are great just recently since COVID when everyone bleats on about working x

You are not on maternity leave though... I don't think asking you about one of your GCSE Students is BU.

You are pregnant ffs not illl

As a teacher, I would work 60 hours most weeks, through weekends and other holidays. It isn’t that great when other occupations can switch off and go home for the same or better money.

That is really not true you are just seeing what you do, lots of people also do this in multiple other occupations, we all work hard and unfortunately if we want an extra 7 weeks off a year we won't necessarily be able to get it and like teachers if we do it is very much unpaid.

Is teaching not a vocation that people go into the help children?
We are in the middle of the summer holidays. You weren't being asked to teach a class....just reply to the odd email!!!

"We won't necessarily be able to get it and like teachers if we do it is very much unpaid."

Rtft. Many teachers have clarified holidays are unpaid . And hence not directed time/ work time unless they have TLR or are SLT.

The equivalent would be like flexible benefits except you'd be "buying" 7 weeks holiday and your monthly salary reduced accordingly. If you know how much a day of holiday cost x 35 to get an idea.

Many teachers for work over the holidays to make their lives easier in terms time but OP is within her rights to not do so, and the person paid to do this task is not doing their job.