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Original poster

confused about maternity leave in school

19 replies

Sunearthxxx · 28/02/2022 13:25

I recieved my mayb1 today so I have been looking at the best time to go on maternirt leave. I am taking the full year but would obviously like to stay at school/work as long as possible so I get longer with baby

the marernity documetns states

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Original poster
Sunearthxxx · 28/02/2022 13:29

I received my mayb1 today so I have been looking at the best time to go on maternity leave. I am taking the full year but would obviously like to stay at school/work as long as possible so I get longer with baby

the maternity documents states

*'Teachers are entitled to 28 statutory days (5.6 weeks) annual leave per year (pro rata for less than one year’s service) under the Working Time Regulations. In most cases staff will have had their leave entitlement in periods of school closure before or after maternity
leave. ' *

could someone please explain what this actually means?

FYI i am not actually a teacher, I am classed as support staff

i think I am just being a bit stupid and I probably just get 52 weeks from when I leave

many thanks

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Original poster
Sunearthxxx · 28/02/2022 13:29

sorry something is going on with my mumsnet and I had to post twice!

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Riverrushing21 · 28/02/2022 13:44

Teacher on mat leave here. As I understand it, in any other jobs where you can take holiday at any time of year (ie not bound by term dates and school holidays) you can accrue annual leave during your maternity leave and end up taking maternity pay and then holiday pay on top. As we are only allowed holiday at set times of year and our salaries are spread out pro rata, this doesn’t apply to us.

As school staff, you can still have a whole year off for your maternity leave, but it’s worth knowing that you will only receive maternity pay for 9 months of that. Depending on when baby is born, some people get around this by coming back to work for a day or two in July, so that they can be paid during the summer holidays. If you did this though, you would be expected to be back at work again in September.

I’m sure HR at your school would be able to talk through it all with you, I found them very helpful when I was working out how to navigate my own maternity leave.

Hope this helps.

Original poster
Sunearthxxx · 28/02/2022 13:49

@Riverrushing21 thank you for your reply. This is what I did think!

last time I went on maternity leave it was 2 weeks before the summer holidays so it worked out perfectly for when I returned the following year! this year I am due a week after may half term!! so hoping to last till the half term but not sure it will happen!

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Ems2021 · 28/02/2022 18:19

Please look into shared parental leave. You can get full pay for school holidays if you're clever with it.

Read www.teachersspl.co.uk for further info.

Original poster
Sunearthxxx · 28/02/2022 18:33

@Ems2021 my husband is self employed so I don't think this would work for us 😫

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Ems2021 · 28/02/2022 18:48

[quote Sunearthxxx]@Ems2021 my husband is self employed so I don't think this would work for us 😫[/quote]
You don't have to share the leave. My husband is only taking 3 weeks of it, but you can split it up into blocks and then get full pay for the school holidays. X

GinnyBee · 28/02/2022 20:47

It's only called shared parental leave to differentiate from maternity leave, but your husband doesn't have to take any. You can go on maternity leave until summer holidays, then "return to work" during school break, and go back off again on shared parental leave when term starts. You can't take mat leave in blocks but you can with ssp.

GinnyBee · 28/02/2022 20:47

*SPL of course!

Original poster
Sunearthxxx · 28/02/2022 21:04

@GinnyBee thank you for this information. This is really interesting. Can the school refuse to allow me to do this ? As they may say there is nothing for me to do in the summer holidays?

I'm going to look into this and maybe speak to my union about it as well

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Original poster
Sunearthxxx · 28/02/2022 21:05

@GinnyBee I'm also wondering if this also only applies fo avtial teachers 🤔 as I'm only support staff 'cover supervisor ' I'm not sure the same would apply to me ? 😕

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GinnyBee · 28/02/2022 21:07

I don't know, sorry, you'll need to ask your HR I think, or union might be able to help too.

DellaPorter · 28/02/2022 21:16

It will be a different scheme for support staff

Soontobe60 · 28/02/2022 21:25

Is your contract term time only?
Regarding going in mat leave, you could just give your due date for the start of leave, but finish earlier if you’re not managing.

Original poster
Sunearthxxx · 28/02/2022 21:34

I believe my contract is term time only plus training days. But I currently only work part time (3 days a week) since returning from maternity in 2020 so not sure if this will also impact things 😕

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LimonataJune · 28/02/2022 21:38

You can take shared parental leave even if your partner is self employed - you can just take all the leave 😊 so you'd be able to take mat leave until the summer holidays, 'go back' for 6 weeks for full pay, then take shared parental leave from the September.

LimonataJune · 28/02/2022 21:40

Just to clarify I am support staff in a school and taking shared parental leave - I'll be off on mat leave until the summer, then taking 1 block of shpl from September til October half term, back to work for a week, then another 2 weeks of shared parental leave.

Original poster
Sunearthxxx · 01/03/2022 08:12

Thank you all 🙂 I will look into this

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