Pregnant teachers - mat leave

[Chanel05]

I've been reading through the Burgundy Book and just wanted some clarity from someone who is a teacher and perhaps started their mat leave. Does mat leave have to begin on a Sunday? Or can it fall any day of the week, if requested (eg I wanted to work Monday and Tuesday but commence mat leave on a Wednesday).

I believe the only stipulation is that your Mat leave must start on your DD. My DD is a Saturday so I’m planning on having my last day the Friday before.

I was told mine had to start on a Monday. Why would you want to leave halfway through the week anyway?

No, maternity doesn't have to start on a Sunday, it can start on any day of the week. The confusion might be from the fact that the earliest it can start is the Sunday of the 11th week before the EWC.

Ahh okay! I'm due in September and thought that it had to start on the Sunday. I'm working the first full week as Monday is obviously bank holiday and I didn't want to miss out on being paid for that!

To add to that, I was considering changing (if possible) to start on Tuesday 1st so I don't miss out on the bank holiday pay.

@Chanel05

I’m due the 19th so am going back for just over 2 weeks. I don’t want to start any earlier than I have to.

You shouldn't lose your bank holidays if you're on mat leave. They should be added back to your holiday entitlement.

I was told by my HT that none of my holiday, etc. carries over.

I don't think it has to start on a Sunday when you're close to your due date. I'm due within the first two weeks of September so I've asked for my mat leave to start on the first inset day in September. I didn't see the point in going in for the inset days and being given a timetable for only a week or so. Especially under the current Covid guidelines.

If I want to have the whole year off, my union have advised me that I can stop my maternity leave on the last day of the summer term so I will be paid full pay for the whole of the summer holiday next year. It will mean that there's only a month or so when I won't have any SMP in June/July before getting my normal pay again.

I'm due Sept 17th, we have 3 INSET days (2nd-5th) so I'll return for those (or not, depending on COVID) and start my Mat Leave on Sept 7th. That gives me just over a week and a half before baby is due.
In hindsight I probably would have started it a little later as WFH plus the 6 week break will mean everything will be ready for baby and ill probably be sick of my own company and if I go overdue I'll be very fed up, but my plan's already submitted now so it is what it is 😂 I also didn't like the idea of having to go back and teach for just a week to then leave! x