Pregnant teachers - 28 weeks+

[Willowfalls]

Hi ladies,

Sorry if I have missed a thread here.

With the return of schools over the next few weeks, I just wondered if there was any updated guidance/advice for pregnant teachers past 28 weeks?

Thank you :)

@katiemumma20

I am now 29+3 and I am currently still at home.
My headteacher decided that she would like to wait until after Easter to decide if I will return to work.

She has however decided it will not be full time and I will be given other duties, mainly smaller groups & working outside.

So yes, I imagine that when I hit almost 34 weeks I will be back in school..

Interesting! I’m surprised schools are making those decisions when the guidance hasn’t changed. But I’m glad you won’t be full time in front of the kids x

I'm 34 weeks and I'm not allowed to be in the classroom, but still have to work in school in an office.

Hi everyone!
Little update on me.

My school have been informed today that all CEV people will be returning to work from the 1sr April. Meaning that I also will be retuning to work after the Easter half term.

Has anyone heard anything else about this?

@firsttimetry I find this really shocking. Most people shielding will have had the vaccine whereas you haven’t so why do you have to go in? The risk to you personally hasn’t changed at all. Case numbers haven’t budged since 8th March so why is it safe for you to go in when it wasn’t then? I’d kick up a massive fuss if I was you, I am not comfortable going in at all. Hoping my school don’t change their minds too.

@Bluespace can I come and work at your nursery

@firsttimetry I don't think it's fair for pregnant staff to be lumped in a group with staff shielding as they should have been offered at least the first vaccine, if not both yet pregnant staff aren't being offered it...

Watching with interest! I don’t wanna go in either!! I’m only 12 weeks but extremely anxious about it all. It’s not healthy.
I’ll happily do my job from home (which I can do lots of!!!)
Blessings to teachers who have been in the whole time! X

I am really nervous about it all, but after speaking to many different people, as long as the risk assessment is in place, which it is, I don't seem to have much of a choice.

There will be 2 of us both over 28 weeks pregnant in the same classroom. We are forming our own bubble and will not come into contact with any others apart from our own children.

We have, however this half term had 2 cases in school in 2 different bubbles which scares the hell out of me!

I'm going to attempt to speak to a mw about this today see if they can shed any light

It does seem sheilding is being lifted on the basis of people having had first jab atleast which obviously doesn't apply for pregnant women

I just got told by Headteacher and HR that o won’t be allowed in school after 28 weeks (May half term) and will be online teaching instead. I suggested that maybe the guidance might change by then, but they said not and that it was none negotiable in our LEA...( they did try to get me to take early maternity leave but no way I could afford to go 11 weeks early!)

So I’d get on to your unions ladies. Everyone has the right to protection and ultimately you cannot socially distance 2m away from students at all times in a classroom.

My HT has said she's waiting to hear what comes out in the next update on the 12th(?) April before deciding, I'll be 28 weeks one the 26th April so it doesn't leave much time! She has said that if advice doesn't change I'll be WFH until 21st June then all social distancing measures will be dropped anyway if all goes to plan so I'll be back in then for the last month (if I'm still feeling ok pregnanc-wise by then, I'm hoping to work right up to the end)

Didnt realise there was an update due on 12th april

Neither did I to be honest, I think she's assuming there will be as that's when the next set of restrictions are due to ease so she's expecting more guidance to come out of it as well. Does anyone know if guidance has been updated for Monday, apart from the stuff around the rule of 6?

The DfE guidance is still to work from home from 28w. The shielding ends on 01.04 because by then that group should be vaccinated. I will be 28w shortly after Easter and I am feeling anxious that the DfE will change their advice (I can't see why they should given we aren't getting vaccinated but still.) I also worry they will tell us to have the vaccine so that we can work as if sooner not have it until after baby was born. The DfE advice was last updated on 24.02 shortly after the roadmap was announced so 🤞🏻

I am now 31 weeks pregnant, I was due to return to work on the 12th April but the school I work in have had a surge of cases in the last week and so my head and deputy decided yesterday that I would not return after Easter and would in fact WFH until my maternity begins on the 14th May.

It is down to individual schools to make their own decisions. I know lots of ladies who are all in the same types of roles and their schools all have different rules. Some are working in an office rather than a classroom, some have their own bubble, some are continuing to teach but with 2m rule in place, some are WFH.

There doesn't seem to be a standard set rule, unfortunately. 😔

Anyone got any updates on this? I’m 28 weeks in Easter so unless my school changes their mind I won’t be back in after this week 🤞 x

I was speaking to my sister yesterday - she’s a health visitor and midwife. She says for the foreseeable, in her HV role, all antenatal visits are to be done virtually because of the risk to women in 3rd trimester. She did explain what the risks are (from the information they are working from) but this isn’t the place.

If schools are not being supportive, please please contact your midwife/consultants/unions. Speak up in all risk assessments, if they say you can do something and you know you can’t, make sure that it’s in writing on the RA. We all know that it’s not ‘covid secure’ in schools and that we have great difficulty with social distancing because we care about what we do, and even in secondary I cannot teach from the front and support all my kiddos. Plus they are not isolating whole bubbles now!!!! Half of both my Yr10 groups are in from today, and half are self isolating. So feeling very safe. Thank you PHE 🙄🤦‍♀️. From duties we know kids do not self isolate during social time!

We are considered CEV after 28 weeks, but not are not ‘shielders’, so are not in the same groups as those returning from April 1st.

Please do not accept early maternity either, that’s discrimination. They must find an alternative role that you can do safely, do your role from home or they must suspend you on full pay.

Thanks @Keyboard91, I don't think there's much I can do until it gets very near the last minute but I have a MW appointment in the Easter holidays so will ask her advice then and go back prepared to fight with union involvement if necessary

My company has sought legal advice and is now asking the line manager to consider can one truly socially distance? - which I think at secondary they’ll deem is a yes - but we all know that’s not reality!! Thus, I’ll be in 😣😣

Interesting! I still think I’ll be working from home from 28 weeks as our assistant head is also pregnant and she is 28 weeks 1st may (after me) and they’ve advertised her maternity cover today from 1st may. If my line manager told me I could socially distance in a secondary school I’d laugh in her face. The number of times I’ve been way too close to students just today on my way to and back from the loo, and teachers are just as bad I keep having to take a step back from them when they talk to me. Plus many kids exempt from wearing masks and it’s not just about social distancing but it’s also about touching the same objects - eg the door which goes into my classroom. I’ve done my absolute best and I can confirm it is literally impossible to completely social distance in a secondary school.

I've been told today that it's up to me and that beforehand I wouldn't have been given the choice-it would've been a strict not allowed in the building situation. It's a no brainier for me, as much as I like being in school it's just too risky. I agree with others, this idea that you can successfully socially distance in secondary school is false. I've tried really hard to and my school have been great in making changes to accommodate this as best as they can but it's simply impossible. I also second that some colleagues are as bad as the kids.

Ladies just make sure your work are taking a ‘more precautionary approach’ with you than for ‘others’ - that’s how I seem to have got my company/trust to agree more WFH (in second trimester!!)

How far in advance of 28 weeks did people find out what their school's plan was?