Any pregnant teachers in the third trimester?

[jollyholly2020]

Just as the title says really... looking to see if there's anyone else in the same boat and what you are doing in January!

I'll be 30 weeks with my first baby when we go back in January. Up until now I have been quite relaxed as had been in a relatively low risk area but now cases are going up and quite a few of my colleagues have tested positive this week as well as some children too (although none in my bubble). Also quite worried about the risk increasing in January with households mixing over Christmas.

I'm primary so quite hard to social distance and wearing a face covering would be quite difficult.

I don't know what to do!

35 weeks here, secondary teacher.

Our school had an 'outbreak' (apparently its not officially an outbreak but... thats what it was) last week. We had 2 cases since september previously, suddenly have 30+ cases in a week including staff. Head made the decision to close the school to pupils, but have staff still in. I was getting increasingly worried, but luckily head decided that I should stay home.

It is very scary though - especially when cases start appearing in your lessons and colleagues in your department.

My advice is just to distance as much as you can and if it isn't possible to be 2m distanced then you need to nag the head about it. Or if you feel really unsafe, get signed off... :/

Thank you @HopeWish that's good that your head said you didn't have to go back in. Will you be going back in January?

Keeping 2m apart is just impossible in my classroom due to the age of the kids and the way it's set out. Don't really want to be signed off or begin maternity early though! Tough decisions to make!

First they can’t force you to start maternity leave early - that’s only for pregnancy induced illness, and if they suggest it it’s illegal/discriminatory.

You should have access to the risk assessment and should have had a personal one done - I’d ask for that to be updated in light of changing numbers in your area and the recent change in school cases. Do you have ventilation, mask, visor, sanitiser provided?

And the RCOG guidance does still say that women in public facing roles in third trimester should have the option to work from home. I know it’s tough - I’m secondary and I choose not to ask but because I felt secure at my school- but they could shift you to planning, admin, poss even online a bit depending on your year group, before you were planning to start your leave anyway.

The NEU also says if they can’t have you working from home they can suspend on full pay - neu.org.uk/advice/coronavirus-and-pregnancy

I know it must be worrying to see such a spike but do also try to keep in mind the total number of cases in your school since September. Easier said than done but trying to keep anxiety at bay also important. Xx

@jollyholly2020 at 28 weeks our 3 pregnant primary staff are working from home, it took 1 saying that was the midwife and union advice but has hopefully set the precedent. I’m only 16 weeks but will need to raise it soon as we’ll need to recruit a replacement for me. Dreading it tbh

I’m 28 weeks mid-January but I’m not going back in after Christmas. My risk assessment demanded that. I’m also primary and it’s not possible to social distance and the school is mostly full of people without masks on (children!). RCOG guidance was archived but not withdrawn. A blanket approach is not suitable is what they said but it is still important for 28 weeks+ to stick to strict social distancing. Ask your head teacher how they can ensure strict social distancing for you.....

Thanks everyone. My headteacher actually phoned me this morning in light of the news (we are in London so Tier 4!) and we've arranged a time later in the holidays to update my risk assessment with a view to me working from home from January. Feeling so much more positive, thank you for all the advice!

I’m a Primary Teacher. I’m 29 weeks, will be 31 weeks when we go back after Christmas. Planning to start maternity leave at February half term. I have a slightly higher risk pregnancy due to my daughter having a low birth weight last time, and having Low Papp-A (been taking aspirin for this), so I have growth scans. All good with those so far but last week the Consultant I saw mentioned the RCOG advice about not working in “public facing” roles. I said well it’s not really that easy for a teacher to not be “public-facing!” She (the consultant) said that if my school can find admin tasks for me, work with smaller groups, reduced timetable etc etc, then that is preferable. However, it’s all just “advice”- nothing is set in stone and clear rules. The Consultant does not put anything in writing. I agonised about it for a little while- when you work as part of a team, no one wants to be the one who has to hold their hands up and say “I need help/I need something done differently for me”, especially if it’s to the possible detriment of other team members (i.e. having to cover my class etc). In the end I wrote my Head Teacher a long email about my concerns, how I felt conflicted about it, what the consultant has said etc. She replied “I have advice from XXX local council Human Resources which contradicts what your consultant has told you”. I was like... oh right, I suppose that’s that then!! I’ll be keeping as much distance as I can from 6 year olds for the remaining six weeks from January to Feb half term Meanwhile I’ve got people always saying to me “shouldn’t you be working from home from 28 weeks?” etc as they’ve heard vague things about it. I’m like “would you like to tell my head teacher that?!”

PS I’m in Tier 3. @jollyholly2020 that sounds good from your Head Teacher, good luck!

@LittleRa the NEU advice is that you should be working from home, have you contacted your union rep?

I'm a secondary school teacher and when I was about 15 weeks pregnant my head agreed I could work from home doing admin tasks after 28 weeks (which starts after Xmas hols). After a term of v few cases we had a big flurry of them in the last week of term so I'm feeling extremely thankful.

It's so frustrating there's not clearer advice- I'm extremely fortunate to have such an understanding head!

[quote Babamamasheep]@LittleRa the NEU advice is that you should be working from home, have you contacted your union rep?[/quote]
I’m a member of NASUWT. I don’t want to have a battle on my hands and things to get nasty with my Head It took a lot for me to send that initial email, and she’s made her feelings (and what she feels the advice from HR is) quite clear.

@LittleRa ask for the HR advice in writing. Ask for your risk assessment to be signed by head teacher and chair of governors. My HR advice was a pile of sh*t so I challenged it! HR came back with well it’s just our ADVICE but medical advice takes priority.

@LittleRa I’d be tempted to take a veryyy nice but confused approach, the advice from my midwife and the union is this, is there something specific we’re doing as a school that mitigates this risk?