Teacher maternity leave, when should I go back to work?

[Eststarr]

Hi all,
I’m a primary school teacher and just working out my maternity leave... I am due around the middle of December, and thinking about the school year, my “paid” maternity leave takes me to about the 1st September which is perfect. However, the last 20 weeks of that maternity leave is down to the basic statutory maternity pay. Ideally I’d like to be paid my full salary over the 6 week summer holidays... would it be taking the mick if I asked to return to work at the beginning of the summer hols? How does that even work? Or would it be a safer bet to return to work say a week before the summer holidays so I actually do something before we break up?
Any advice? I don’t want to mess the school around but at the same time it’d be nice to have my full pay for the last 6 weeks as apposed to statutory maternity pay!
Thanks!
Esther

If you are intending on going back to work at the start of September for the new academic year then I’d put my return to work date as the first day of the summer holidays to get paid through the holidays. I queried this when I had dd and felt incredibly guilty about putting my first day of return as the first day of Christmas holidays but not actually returning until January but I was told this is common practice for teachers on maternity leave.

Although obv if your school might expect you to run summer sessions or do training over the summer etc as the norm you would have to do this as you’d be back working. Can’t think that woukd be relevant at primary but for me, in secondary, it would mean I’d need to go in on GCSE results day.

Both my dc were born in December and I put my return to work date as the first day of the six weeks holiday.

I'm a teacher too and due in December. I'm going to go back one or two weeks before start of summer hols next year, that way I'll go back to full pay in August 2020. I've known someone come back to work the day before breaking up for Summer and get back into full pay for Summer.

OH is going to take the one or two weeks off in July when I'm back in work and then we'll start the baby in nursery in September.

Hope that helps?

You can return to work on the first day of the summer holidays and be paid your normal salary over the summer. It is a myth that you have to go back for the last day or week. I just informed my school that I would be returning on this date and I had my full pay over the summer, without having to go in.

Having just seen others have done first day of summer hols as first day back at work I might so that instead of do two weeks!

I would put 1st day of summer holidays. No doubt you will be planning, going into school to get ready for the new term etc so why not get paid for it?

1st day of holidays. If you enquire about KIT days you could then go in for a couple of odd days in the last couple of weeks to plan and prepare for September, whilst getting paid, but with no teaching expectation :)

Don’t feel guilty about it- in other jobs you would accrue holiday whilst on maternity, as a teacher you don’t.

I would put the first day of the holidays- unless you want to go back for a few days before just to familiarise yourself before term starts.

Totally normal to put 1st day of relevant holiday as your return to work, I can't think of many colleagues that haven't done it tbh. I'm going back the week before Christmas hols as I want to try out childcare logistics etc for my own sanity (DP will be at home so have a safety net) but I could easily have put the day we break up or the first actual holiday day. Nobody will bat an eyelid

I had a Dec baby and went back the last 3 days of term. Meant I could get my timetable, class lists etc. and for me meant September was less daughting.

Definitely return the first day of the summer holidays. Other professions still get to add holidays onto the end of their maternity leave. Congratulate yourself on your excellent timing.