Maternity leave??

[emmaneill24]

Hello. Just looking for some advice. First baby. Head of English in a secondary school. Baby due end of January. All is low risk and going swimmingly. Any advice on when I should begin this leave? Thanks in advance!

Its a personal choice OP. You can choose anywhere between 28 weeks and 40 (I think!) from what I've seen most people seem to go at 37 weeks. Another thing to consider is current covid situation especially as you work in a school. Are you vaccinated?

I went at 37 weeks with my first, I'm going at 32 weeks this time due to covid and being bloody knackered.

Be prepared to want to go sooner than you think. I stayed until 37 with my first, and 38 with this one (if I make it...) but I'm exhausted and I wish I had gone off sooner.

Totally personal, with DS I went at 38 weeks, but was then bored as he was 11 days late!!

I'm due again on the 1st of Jan so am intending on finishing up at 38 weeks again, but am taking a few days off AL in the run up, so like awind down to ML! Mainly when DS is at nursery as I'll get more done then to get ready for the new arrival.

I left at 36 weeks I was done!
If I was a teacher due at your time I'd leave at the xmas holidays so mat to start straight after them.

I’d also finish at Xmas and start mat leave then.

Congratulations

It's personal choice as people said but I'd leave at the Christmas holidays - it's a better point in the school year for timetabling etc and makes sense and you then get 2 Christmas's off if you take a full year 🤶

Your KIT days would be worth doing too my friend picked training days to stay in the loop so on top of your maternity pay you also get 10 days full pay 💰

If I was due in January, I'd finish up at Christmas. Otherwise 2 weeks before due date, which is min. required by law here.

Look into shared leave as well. There's a teacher with a website that explains how to do it to make the most of entitlements. Google teachers shared leave or something!
Re when to start leave, I think teachers can start it no more than 6 weeks before due date. Totally up to you, though! At my school atm staff over 28 weeks have to work from home anyway so that might mean you can work longer or it might mean you want to start leave earlier!