Teachers - when to start maternity leave?

[rubyinthedust]

Have noticed there are a lot of teachers on here so thought I would ask!

I'm a secondary school teacher and I'm due October 22nd with my first child. After Easter the head is going to want to know when I intend to start maternity leave, for staffing purposes.

I think I have two options:

1. go back for the first INSET days and then start maternity leave early Sept (seems like a popular option at my school!); or
2. go back for a month and finish late September/early October to maximise the maternity leave time after baby comes. I'm not really sure what I'd do during that month as it's very likely that my replacement would start in September anyway and the school wouldn't give me any classes. In the past teachers have been given admin tasks to do and some cover.

Also, I'm pretty sure that I will resign during the year anyway as DH and I want to relocate - if we do this, I'd need to come back and work for the last half-term. This depends on whether DH finds a job in the area we want to move to, although I'm pretty sure he would - he's a Physics teacher and there seems to be tonnes of jobs.

I think I'm leaning towards option 1 as I probably would need to go back to work in June anyway, but am a bit worried I'd be really bored for 8 weeks! Obviously I'd get paid less over the year too.

Any thoughts?

I'm due 28th September. I'm deputy head. We've planned (when I say we, I mean me and the head, and also me and my boyfriend), for me to go back in September if at all possible. I've got a project to do for 2 weeks, as my class will have been covered by a mat-cover contract. I'm going back after May half term for the last term, at which point I'll get 'my' class back. I'm aiming to go back 0.7, which means teaching all mornings and having my management time for one afternoon (so I keep a school presence by doing assembly etc), and getting paid for PPA at home for a pro-rata amount of time. Obviously this isn't set in stone, but it's how we've budgeted for now.

My head wanted me to go off in July when we break up, but I'll be climbing the walls with boredom by the end of September. I just know I'll be late too, so potentially 10 - 12 weeks at home, alone, on a tighter than usual budget. HELL NO.

I would say option 2- if then after the summer your suffering then tell them you want to start earlier- option 1! Harder to go the other way I would imagine. Especially if you won't have classes would be worth it for the extra pay especially if your not going back for long? I'm due start of july so going of half way through summer 2 and am assistant head- basically focusing on sats summer 1 then hand over and submitting all data before I go. Hopefully come back before sats next year! Wait and see how that goes...

I agree with pp. Tell them the end of sept and then see how you feel. You are entitled to leave when you need to in the end. It's a long way off yet and all sorts can happen during a pregnancy.

im a teacher and head of yr. im going at 39 weeks (unless baby comes before that!!)

I don't want to have a lot of time off before and I hav a yr11 class whos coursework needs to be finished!

Quit honestly I'd do option one. I go on mat after Easter hols. I'm 34 weeks now and I wouldn't underestimate how tiring teaching is when you're pregnant. I was really suffering in the last 2 weeks!

With my first baby I went off at oct half term at 38 weeks but my cover had started in sept so I did cover / admin / support for the first few weeks. This time I'm due sept 3rd and am planning on doing the training day on sept 1st and starting my maternity leave at 39+6!

I'm a teacher and I stopped work yesterday at 38+ 2. My leave won't start till the baby's born as it's the Easter holidays now ( getting induced next sat). I found the last two weeks really tough as my school made no allowances and I was given extra classes due to staff absence etc. As someone else said I decided to work as far as I could as the kids all have exams after Easter and I wanted to finish the courses before I left. I think I would have found the last two weeks easier if I had been in a more supportive school.

With my last I went off at 38 weeks and had her at 39 weeks. This time I'm hoping to work till labour kicks in. Maternity pay isn't great so I want as much time as I can get off afterwards. Babies due end November and I'll prob go back the day before the Easter holidays though it would be lovely to stretch it till July.

I went at 39 weeks.

Leave started Monday, I gave birth Friday morning .

That sounds good!

Thing is, for both me and the OP - we'll have the summer holidays to sort of get things organised, probably when we're a little more 'able' to do things, so after that we may as well work as long as we possibly can. That's the way I'm looking at it anyway.

I went at 39 wks. Baby was born at 42 wks. I was bored stiff.

I'm a year 5 teacher. Left at 34 weeks due to problematic pregnancy, having a section at 39 weeks. Five weeks sounds a lot but it's given great time with dd1 (3) and time to sort my house out! As it happens I've had two stays ok hospital since so know it was the right decision. I'm going back after February half term 4days per week, my baby will be 10 months.

Thanks for all your replies, lots to think about! I guess if my replacement starts in September it doesn't make that much of a difference to the school when I do go, and I could tell them later. I think I need to have a chat with the head after the holiday and see what's possible.

With my first I finished at 36 weeks - but last two weeks was no teaching just admin and cover and the week before half term which sounds like your option 2.

However second time around I was planning
On finishing at 35 weeks which was last Thursday and officially starting my mat leave the day we return after Easter. Finished at 4 pm on Thursday, had baby that night at 745 eeeeeeeek! Three hours of mat leave wasn't enough!!!!!

I went at 36 weeks and I'm glad I did. was knackered and having to use the loo all the time and I've really valued the time at home to prepare things.

A lot of teachers I know gave birth really soon after they started leave- probably the shock lol. Do make sure you get a bit of time if you can.

I finished at 38 weeks and I'm now 40 weeks and waiting. Struggled a bit the very last week but I have had two weeks off now and feel like that was plenty.

I did option 2 for both my October born dc and really enjoyed that month sorting out paperwork, supporting my cover who started in september, helped colleagues do their start of year assessments. It was quite relaxed and I was actually able to leave at 3 o clock.

both times I have left at 33 weeks- first preg I had intended to work a little longer but ended up being signed off sick; this time it was intentional. I am now 36 weeks and there is no way I could have worked the last three weeks. I am absolutely exhausted, have loads of stuff to sort at home as no time until now and have a three year old too, there is no way I would have been capable of teaching, coming home to 3yo then having to plan/mark. PGP has been so much better since I stopped work- my physio was amazed and says she doesn't want to see me again!

I am going back in January when dd will be 8 months or so- the same age I went back with ds. A teaching friend went on ML at 38 weeks and went into labour that evening...

With my last dd I went to the consultant for a checkup at 35+5 and he picked up problems, so I was admitted to hospital and had a section 2 days later. So no maternity leave there- I had to ring work and say, sorry, I'm not actually coming back to work...

This time, I hope to start maternity leave at 37 weeks, with a section at 38. I'd like a week at home beforehand this time!

Can I ask, when did your head teacher inform parents of your pregnancy? I teach in an infant school, and I'm sure the children will notice soon! (24 weeks)

Give the latest possible date that you can. You can always go sooner if you need to but you can't push your mat leave back if you find that actually you're still fine at 37, 38 weeks.

I'm a teacher & 28 weeks pg. I'm also suffering from SPD and have to teach sitting down. My aim is still to leave at 36-37 weeks!! If I can't last that long due to medical reasons bought on by pregnancy, then my Dr will have to sign me off- this will not be deducted from my maternity pay. FYI- you have to go back to teaching for 12-13 weeks after receiving mat pay. If you dint they'll ask you to return it ALL!! Word of advice-try and stay at school as long as you can and try negotiating part time when you return. That's what I've done anyway. G-luck. Planning for Easter revision sessions as I type.
If you haven't already watch the Jess Green link on YouTube. She's a poet and has written one about Gove!!!!!!

johull your school must have ts&cs which aren't in line with the burgundy book then. You have to return for 13 weeks or pay back enhanced pay over and above your statutory, not all of your mat pay. I am not going back; I received statutory pay and a further twenty weeks at half pay. I am repaying the twenty weeks at half pay only.