Shared Parental Leave Forms - teachers especially, please help!

[TallieT]

Hi Everyone,

This post is particularly for teachers as it is specific to how shared parental leave works within a school. My partner and I are very confused by the shared parental leave forms and help would be greatly appreciated!

We are both teachers and taking blocks of leave to get the best pay we can. I have the dates we want to take and my work has given me a rough idea of the pay each week; however, I cannot understand the forms and would really appreciate if someone who has filled them in before, taking blocks, could help.

I will be off from October half term term to the end of Autumn term (block 1), then working over Christmas holidays. Back off from Jan until half term (block 2), working over half term, then off again from end of half term until I go back at the end of March (block 3). My partner will then take over after the Easter holidays until the end of the summer term.

I can only see one section to put in dates, not more for the blocks.
It asks when you start statutory mat leave, but is this the first block or just from when you are on statutory pay after enhanced pay?
Also, does each partner get up to 3 blocks?

Please message me if you can help with filling these forms in.

Thank you so much,
Tallie

I did shared parental leave with my DP when we were both teachers. The HR manager at my school had done it before so she sorted it including speaking to DP school and hello then with their bit too. Have you tried school, trust or local authority HR? They might just do it for you

Is the school ok with you doing the "working over half term" thing? My school didn't allow that as it was seen as playing the system as you don't actually work you just get the paid holiday. We did manage to time it so we were both paid over summer hols though then he went off on parental leave and I went back to work.

The forms sounds like they are for standard/traditional mat leave dates. You'll need to speak to your bursar/HR manager for advice on how they want the dates for the blocks, or put a note in the box stating see note at end of form and details the dates there and see what they say. Have your schools actioned SPL before?

Helped not hello!

It was encouraged by my school 😂👌
It's not "working over half term" - it's the same as being paid over the holidays.

Im currently a teacher on shared parental leave - I called the union and they worked out all the best dates for me and helped me fill in the forms over the phone!

They don’t have a choice though if you’re taking your legal entitlement to parental leave? They might not like it but you’re entirely able to go and come back in any day of your choosing. if anyone says anything to me about it I explain it’s the equivalent of using my accrued annual leave at the end except i have to do it as I go along - makes sense or most
shouldn’t really need explaining though beyond ‘I’m legally entitled to use spl in this way’

Agree with others, this is a maternity leave form not an spl form.

Yes you both get three blocks
https://www.gov.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay/booking-blocks-of-leave#:~:text=You%20can%20book%20up%20to,both%20at%20the%20same%20time.

i can’t quite follow your timings but be careful of a couple of things in case:

• your occupational pay will end when you swap to shared parental so check whether you’re better off over Christmas/ January with this plan
• you and your partner can both be off or in work at the same time so you could both potentially be paid for Easter for example

sorry if that’s obvious!

Have you seen the website for it? https://www.teachersspl.co.uk
we’re paying £60 for them to do all the forms for us and have had friends who did the same which they said was definitely worth it!

My school were really helpful with dates and happy for me to do it this way, they've done it before but I think the staff usually fill out the forms. They would help if they could, but I want to try and do as much as I can myself first as so far I haven't got past the first few questions haha

They have, once before I think but staff usually do the forms. They helped me with dates and I can ask again for help, I just wanted to try and do them this weekend and give the forms in.

Thank you, I will try the union for help with the forms :)

My school were really helpful about it :)

Thank you, I'll have a look at that :)

Thank you, if I can't work it out, this is a good option! :)