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Original poster

Teachers on maternity… can I exam mark without losing pay?!

9 replies

Strawberrycream123 · 30/08/2024 21:43

Hello,

I will hopefully be on maternity leave next summer! I am reading conflicting information online regarding “second jobs” and wondered if anyone had been in the same boat and had any advice.

I have marked for Aqa for 6 years now, and always do a lot of marking over May/June. Of course next year I will hopefully have a little one so won’t be able to do anywhere near as much! But, if I do take the contract with Aqa and work again as an examiner, will it affect my maternity pay with my school? I’m seeing online additional jobs will mean I will need to pay back statutory maternity pay…

Many thanks

OP posts:
Pammela2 · 30/08/2024 21:46

I’m in Scotland, so it could be different but I did marking during both maternity leaves and it was fine!

lanthanum · 31/08/2024 07:02

Most job contracts do not permit you to take on work during maternity leave (because that's not what it's for), but the situation is a bit different if it is a pre-existing second job.
I had two jobs when I went on maternity leave, and spent some time trying to ascertain whether I could return from maternity leave at different times for the two jobs. Neither employer gave me an answer. HMRC said it was up to the employers.

Your union may well have more advice, because plenty of teachers are in this position. If you have their back-up, then go ahead.

Winter41 · 31/08/2024 07:18

I am pretty sure I marked during my maternity leave and I know another teacher this year who did as well.

Phineyj · 31/08/2024 07:26

I did it but as I'd been self-employed before entering teaching I just added it to my tax return. It didn't actually occur to me that I might need my school's permission but it was a decade or so ago and the school was clueless with HR anyway.

I would:

  1. Read your contract and see if it expressly forbids it (unlikely).
  2. If it doesn't, go ahead but see an accountant to check whether you need to do a tax return (this doesn't have to cost a lot - but do ask small scale self-employed people for recommendations).
  3. If your head is reasonable and/or your contract seems to forbid it, ask for their permission on the grounds that exam marking is good CPD (assuming you're marking the subject you teach), as it is!
LottieMary · 31/08/2024 07:40

If you’re claiming smp - which you will be as a teacher - you can do ANY self employed work but you can’t start working for an employed role that you didnt already have before you went on leave

During my leaves I’ve done things like exam marking, curriculum and resource writing and npq delivery on a self employed basis.

assume you’re using shared parental leave to get plenty of holiday pay?

you will need to do a tax return but honestly it’s really simple especially if you only have your regular job and exam marking.

eta sorry of course you know re tax return as you already exam mark but will leave for others info

Whywhwhy · 31/08/2024 07:58

I had the same question during my first maternity leave last year. My school said they didn't have a problem but had no idea if I was allowed to or not. I basically bottled it and didn't do it as I was worried I'd not be allowed to from a government point of view. I am now due to start my second maternity leave in November (using school holidays altogether 'return to work's via shared parental leave) and would like to mark next summer. I am still in theory and employee of AQA and EDEXCEL as they just offer a new contract every year and you never actually leave.
Therefore if anyone knows the answer to this, I'd be really interested as I would love to be able to top up my maternity pay this way!
Edited to add - I already do a tax return due to a rental property

LottieMary · 31/08/2024 09:34

@Whywhwhy AQAs contract clearly says self employed and as such you can do the work while on leave and must add it to any tax return.

Phineyj · 31/08/2024 09:43

Yes AQA confirmed self-employed in 2020-21 as a reason to not pay anything for the cancelled exams!

lanthanum · 01/09/2024 17:34

Whywhwhy · 31/08/2024 07:58

I had the same question during my first maternity leave last year. My school said they didn't have a problem but had no idea if I was allowed to or not. I basically bottled it and didn't do it as I was worried I'd not be allowed to from a government point of view. I am now due to start my second maternity leave in November (using school holidays altogether 'return to work's via shared parental leave) and would like to mark next summer. I am still in theory and employee of AQA and EDEXCEL as they just offer a new contract every year and you never actually leave.
Therefore if anyone knows the answer to this, I'd be really interested as I would love to be able to top up my maternity pay this way!
Edited to add - I already do a tax return due to a rental property

Edited

If the school doesn't have a problem with it, then there's no need to worry - HMRC were clear with me that it was up to the employers - HMRC doesn't care.

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