Shared Parental Leave (for teachers)

[hopeful4us]

Any teaching planning to take shared parental leave to maximise their maternity benefits?

I need to sit down and actually crunch the numbers to see what would work best for DH and I. Would like to hear others thoughts/experiences.

We did it, but without dh actually taking any leave. If you google spl teachers an amazing website comes up that covers how to plan and apply. I was back at work for Easter, May half term and for the summer holidays. Definitely worth doing.

Thanks @seven201 - I think this is how we would do it (ie I would take leave in blocks and my DH would just take his 2 weeks paternity).

Due April so could return to work for the summer break and October half term. Only downside is that I’m a HoD so would actually need to do some work in the summer and I’m not sure I want to as a FTM.

I did it for my now 18 month old and have another due in 6 weeks so will do it again. I'm also HOD but only thing I had to do in summer hols was be available for any queries on results day. I have now unofficially become the school adviser on doing it as HR keep sending people my way to ask questions s as I was the first to use it and know the system pretty well. Feel free to shout if you have anything you want to ask

I’d be curious to learn a bit more - do lots of people did this? My DD was born beginning of September so I already felt like I had a good deal with the holidays. I would love to time second for September too but obviously can’t control that 😂

do schools have to agree to the request to return to work eg at Easter then SPL over summer term? I had thought they were allowed to say no and therefore most just would refuse?

@hopeful4us once you start spl it stops the maternity pay, other than the statutory part and you can't resume that bit. So you might be better off starting it later in the school year. I'm useless at explaining it but that website really is amazing and explains it all.

@Ljhunt I don't think they can refuse. The spl for teachers website explains it all. I believe it's run by a teacher who used to be a lawyer.

@seven201 I thought this was the case - my school already offers a pretty good EMP so I think I’d only gain over the October half term. Need to look into it a bit more but not sure I’ll do it this time, perhaps with the next one!

I’ve done it twice- solo’d the admin but the website linked above is excellent

They have to say yes if you do the paperwork right. You don’t have to return on any particular day - I’ve had mine be a Saturday several times to maximise pay the way my mat works it out. You can go back on the Monday of the holiday, doesn’t have to be the Friday before, and you can’t be asked to work in holidays if nobody else is. You have to curtail mat pay so after occupational ended was better for me.

first, I got paid for easter, summer, half term and both christmases (Christmas baby!). Second I got paid for half term, Easter, summer. I also did more KIT days - also a hod - which I worked from home as I wanted but enabled me to do exam analysis and set departmental targets. You’re entitled to 20 while on parental leave if you wanted that many!!

Hi, I'm due beginning of June and get 6 weeks full pay, 11 weeks half pay and then the rest is statutory. So if I took spl during the summer holidays would I go back onto the half pay after as those 11 weeks would take me up to towards end of September?

I think this is the bit you need to check with your individual employer. Officially starting SPL curtails your mat leave so you’d return on SMP but apparently some jobs do offer an enhanced version. I think that - like you - I’ll have a better deal with regular may leave because of my due date

Both teachers, had my first mid June so went off May half term. DH had mid June- end of term SPL plus the 6 weeks just standard time off so he was off for 12 weeks :) And my HR did the dates wrong so I still got my 12 months instead of 11!

hi ladies, happy new year. I am working on some mat leave admin today and had a question about shared parental leave- I wondered if anyone knew the answer? If I apply for SPL and get paid for some of the holidays, if at the end of mat leave I decide NOT to return to my job, would I have to pay back the accrued pay? I am fairly miserable in my teaching job and am currently thinking of other options out of the classroom post mat leave. Thanks all