Pregnant teachers

[LizzyB03]

When should I tell my school about my pregnancy? I’ve read conflicting advice, I’m 7 weeks and do feel safe in school (we are secondary, I’m on the rota once a week ish to supervise key worker students and we have tight Covid measures including testing each day we are in).
Do school need to know because of risk assessment or something though? When would you tell them?
Under ‘normal’ circumstances I’d probably wait until 12 weeks, but only because it’s the done thing really.

If you feel safe and happy to go in once a week I would wait until first scan.

Unless it all changes again and all kids are back in with no distancing... I would then tell them and ask to work from home!

Tbh I would wait.
You never know how the 1st trimester will go, are you prepared to tell all of it doesn't have a happy end?
A risk assessment is unlikely to change much of your working situation, if you're happy about the measures in place to safeguard you then you'll be fine to wait a while.

Going off current guidelines pregnant women and unborn babies in first and second trimester are not at any higher risk and the fact you feel safe going in nothing will prob come of a risk assesment. If schools go back full time defo bring it up but for now id just wait till 12 weeks!

I would tell them now.

12 weeks. Nobody will be able to do anything anyway, and that brings you nicely up to Easter. Join MTPT project on Facebook/Twitter. Really supportive and lots of teachers in your position.

I’m a teacher too. My head of dept knew at 5 weeks but I didn’t officially tell the school until 12-13 weeks. But in the current covid situation, I’d recommend telling them when/if schools go back properly in order for your risk assessment to be done!

Please the headteacher & business manager now, it will remain confidential. Please don’t take any risks. There will be something in the schools risk assessment to make allowances and our headteacher would never forgive themselves if something happened and they didn’t know. All it takes is one key workers child to bring the infection in, you can be put in different duties if it’s secondary, maybe offer to make some welfare calls?

I would tell the headteacher now, in confidence. I don’t see why you wouldn’t but I think I am more broadly sympathetic to headteachers than many teaching MNers.

I would tell the head and ask them for a maternity risk assessment

My friend is newly pregnant also a teacher she is working from home doing zoom lessons, preparing resource packs and doing welfare calls

I’m 8 weeks, secondary, and remote teaching fully from home. I have let my head and my head of department know, they know it’s confidential and that they can only share with those who need to know (eg business manager). I wanted it in writing so it was fully considered now, so that way of short notice on us reopening/being back in school etc then I don’t need to worry. I know that I am not safe when the school is fully open, which could potentially be in less than 1 months time.

Personal choice though. Under normal circumstances I probably wouldn’t have said anything to my head yet.

Just to add, I’m also pregnant, 13 weeks and am currently working from home. My headteacher didn’t want to take the risk with the new strain.

Pregnant teacher here, now 21 weeks but told my work at 8 weeks. I had a risk assessment straight away and it was all very confidential. Unnecessary contact with children and adults was cut out (form time, PPA at home, duties indoors) and it felt so much better.

If you are in a large secondary with lots of staff they could probably manage without you on the rota.

I’m pregnant and teaching full time from school . I did tell my school but as far as guidance goes it doesn’t support not being in school. That said you should probably tell school so they can do a risk assessment .

Tell them now. In the current circumstances it is important that school.leadership teams have an accurate view of their staff's health information.
Plus in the very unlikely case that something does go wrong, they will be able to support you with time off etc