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 :)

Nope, I'm 24 weeks and haven't heard anything. I emailed HR and the head 2 weeks ago and haven't heard anything back from either of them... Think they are are hoping something changes/ignoring the situation.

@Cutie18327 everything should still be the same as the guidance hasn’t changed so fingers crossed you’ll be wfh from 28 weeks. What have your school said x

@Cutie18327 I was 28 weeks last week and am now working from home. My Head said the guidance hasn’t changed and he wasn’t expecting it to. If anything, surely you’ve got an even stronger case for wfh given the relaxation of the rules as it puts you in a more vulnerable position than before? Really hope your school are being supportive.

The head of the high school (I'm in the primary building) has decided to keep facemasks in place following local PH advice due to cases in our area being particularly high. Still waiting for a reply as to what I'm going to be doing.

Anyone else feeling more anxious now the Indian variant is seeming to spread? 24+5 so will be 28 weeks on the first Monday after half term. Been advised against vaccination as have had a lot of complications. Secondary - impossible to social distance in my classroom and see 150+ Students/families a day. School have made no commitments to work from home. I don’t have enough sick pay to make it until the summer if they refuse. I’ve read about medical suspension but seems unlikely if they say I ‘can’ social distance.

Any advice?

@Keyboard91 argh sorry to hear this I don’t understand why some schools are being so funny about it. Have there been any other pregnant teachers at your school in the last year?

@Keyboard91 yeah was just coming on here to see if anyone was feeling the same about the Indian variant. Luckily I am being allowed to work from home after next week but I’m reception and it’s the opposite of social distancing. If there was any way kids could ensure you definitely caught it, that’s what my class is like 😂 I’m just trying to drag myself to next week then be really careful over the summer. Personally I think I’d try and use up whatever sick leave you have. I saw another post saying a secondary teacher wrote down every single time her risk assessment was broken to prove she couldn’t distance from them. Have you spoken to occupational health?

@sarah13xx I think I'm going to start doing that with my risk assessment, I'm in reception too and a kind of barrier has been constructed so I can have children in a separate room with me but they still come over (obviously!!)
On a slightly different note, if you're writing reports have you all been really organised and got those done already? I'm usually working on them right down to the wire and suddenly wondered this morning what would happen if I went into labour really early having not even made a start on them

@EdithGrantham yeah it’s just not possible in reception! They do get that I’m pregnant but they don’t see any reason why they can’t hold my hand, hug me etc, just keeping my fingers crossed I don’t catch it before I stop 🤦🏼‍♀️ Luckily my reports have already been done but that’s what I’m like, I can’t do them unless I have a deadline. I just tackled one bit per day a few weeks ago and did the numeracy comments one day by group and so on. I’m now frantically making transition notes etc for whoever is going to take over when I start working from home

@Peaplant20 nothing yet! The deputy head seems to think that something will be announced tomorrow, but I just think they're stalling because it's at the bottom of their priority list.

@Keyboard91 I got recommended to talk to my GP and convey my anxieties and they will write a letter that the school are supposed to follow. Have you contacted your GP? I have the same worries, especially with masks being scrapped tomorrow - I'm dreading going in!

@Cutie18327 with this new variant I definitely wouldn’t be taking my mask off. I’ve bought my own ffp2 masks and wore them every second of every day. It’s horrible and I can’t breathe in them but feel like it’s my only hope of not catching it! I don’t get why they’re saying masks aren’t needed anymore when Boris has got it wrong time and time again and now this looks like cases are going back up 🤦🏼‍♀️

@Cutie18327 that sounds like my school, they've been relying on the guidance changing since mid-March and I've now ended up in school, more socially distanced than I would be in the classroom but not entirely at all times. I'm finding it very stressful as I'm still planning and prepping for my class but not actually teaching them, having to relay all of this to supply or a TA (who then often don't deliver it how I would have done so it essentially changes the activities) and planning and prepping for the small groups who are in the room with me.

I’m 30 weeks this week, year 1. I’m staying in the classroom. A school down the road has sent their pregnant teacher home from 28 weeks. Midwives advised me not to get the vaccine. I feel ok about it but definitely apprehensive about the ‘what ifs’.

I wish the guidance had been more clear.

@PurpleFlower1983

I wish the guidance had been more clear.

The thing is, I think it is clear, for younger year groups at least. It's just that head teachers are ignoring the fact that DfE guidelines state that children in lower primary can't be expected to socially distance.

Unfortunately, I've just heard that I won't be allowed to work from home. Very disappointed, I don't feel safe at all. Thinking to go to my GP - does anyone have any advice?

@Cutie18327 oh no I’m sorry :( did they say what their justification was/ how do they intend to keep you safe? Your gp might be able to sign you off I have heard of that happening in your situation. Have they left other pregnant women before you wfh? X

@Cutie18327 Really sorry to hear that. I have also heard of GPs signing off. Otherwise are you in a Union? What are the Union saying? What about your local authority? It could be worth checking what other local schools are doing.. is this is something your school has just decided or is it policy from the authority? As far as I am aware the government/RCOG guidance hasn’t changed and anyone from 28 weeks should still be working from home. Best of luck with getting this all sorted.

I think a lot of schools will keep staff in now as the guidance for pregnant staff hasn't changed but it says to follow national social distancing measures which have changed, and are now pretty vague and onyk say to stay away from people you aren't meeting...

Not a teacher but work in the public sector and i was asked back to work on the 26th april when i would have been 29 weeks, GP signed me off until 27th may when my annual leave kicks in followed by mat leave

@KHR1 that's for people you're choosing to meet though, I think for workplaces the guidance remains the same from what I've been able to find

@Homeiswheremyheartis on what grounds did your GP sign you off?

@EdithGrantham ah my bad! I wish the guidance was more clear so it isn't open to so much interpretation. Apparently I'm finding out on Friday what I'll be doing after half term when I hit 28 weeks

I think the problem is it's not all in one place, there's guidance for social stuff, guidance for workplaces then separate guidance for schools as well as the guidance for pregnant employees and they all seem to refer to each other rather than just laying out the rules!

@Cutie18327 oh no 😢 I’m being allowed to work from home thankfully (28 weeks in an infant class). My local authority has said all pregnant employees will be at home from 28 weeks. I know in another school when nothing was in place to protect pregnant staff two pregnant women were signed off with covid related anxiety. My local authority confirmed at the time that this would not be counted as pregnancy related and so wouldn’t start mat leave early at 36 weeks. It’s not worth the stress over it. At the end of the day, it is just a job! Hope you get something sorted x

To me the guidance is clear, there is just one document for pregnancy in the workplace and it basically states if you can’t social distance at all times then you need your role to be altered (eg to be office based) or to wfh. I guess it’s schools that are interpret whether or not you can social distance differently! IMO it’s impossible to social distance in schools. This guidance hasn’t changed, even if social distancing isn’t required in other places it’s still required for pregnant staff as that’s what the document states x