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Navigating paternity leave for primary school teachers in England after a birth

10 replies

PlaceNamed · Yesterday 18:17

I am not sure where is best to post this.

My DP is a primary school teacher in England. His paternity allowance is 2 weeks, meaning he will go back to his extremely
intense job straight away after the birth of our child. I am worried and sad about this - I will be very alone, he will be stressed by his job, and he (and I) will also be sad at how little time he will get with the newborn.

Does anyone have any experience of the father of a child being a primary school teacher and navigating parental leave? I have read there are ways to take advantage of his summer holidays, for example, to maximise leave and ease the pressure a bit, but most of what I find is about the mother being a teacher so the allowances are completely different.

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MissChanandlerBonng · Yesterday 18:18

Almost all fathers only take two weeks paternity leave, what has being a teacher got to do with it? Why will you be more alone than anyone else on maternity leave?

BakedAl · Yesterday 18:20

Most fathers only get 2 weeks off, not just teachers. He could use shared parental leave up to the next end of term or half term. I guess some people try to plan it so the baby is born just before the summer hols but you can't always plan these things.

dementedpixie · Yesterday 18:29

Do you work? If so, you could both take advantage of shared parental leave/pay. This would require you to give up some of your maternity leave/pay in order for him be able to be off for longer. Or he could apply for unpaid parental leave

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PlaceNamed · Yesterday 18:33

MissChanandlerBonng · Yesterday 18:18

Almost all fathers only take two weeks paternity leave, what has being a teacher got to do with it? Why will you be more alone than anyone else on maternity leave?

Not the point of this post. I know 2 weeks is the standard.

I am asking specifically for experiences from people who have managed to navigate the minor additional benefit of the summer holidays to add onto leave.

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RelievedNoYouTubeMum · Yesterday 18:34

When is your baby due?

PlaceNamed · Yesterday 18:35

dementedpixie · Yesterday 18:29

Do you work? If so, you could both take advantage of shared parental leave/pay. This would require you to give up some of your maternity leave/pay in order for him be able to be off for longer. Or he could apply for unpaid parental leave

Yes I work full time and get relatively good mat leave allowance. I’ve basically I’ve read how some couples have managed to navigated shared parental leave + the school summer holidays, to improve the teacher parent’s experience. But I can only find examples of where the mother is the teacher.

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Tippexy · Yesterday 18:35

Shared parental leave is an absolute winner for teachers, as he can pause the leave during school holidays to receive full pay. Lots of people would love to have that option.

It doesn’t matter whether the teacher is the mum or the dad.

PlaceNamed · Yesterday 18:38

RelievedNoYouTubeMum · Yesterday 18:34

When is your baby due?

January. I wish we’d managed to time it to July 😅, but that would have been unbelievably lucky!!

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Piggywaspushed · Yesterday 18:40

I'm not sure I get what you're asking. He'll get the summer hols regardless and because he isn't onleave, his pay will be as normal? I guess some people would plan to have a baby in late July and then he gets his two weeks in September? But that doesn't seem to match what you're asking. Or have baby mid July, then 2 weeks, then hols. Babies have a funny way of not being born to order, though...

Piggywaspushed · Yesterday 18:43

Tippexy · Yesterday 18:35

Shared parental leave is an absolute winner for teachers, as he can pause the leave during school holidays to receive full pay. Lots of people would love to have that option.

It doesn’t matter whether the teacher is the mum or the dad.

Edited

Not sure this is true for the woman? Mine was born 26 July and the birth date triggered mat leave. I seem to remember trying to keep working right to the end of term to get my summer pay.

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