13 weeks post maternity leave

[Elasticsong]

Wondering if anyone could give me some advice please. I've recently returned to my part time teaching job after taking the full year's maternity leave.

I've decided to work out my 13 weeks so I don't have to pay back any money but am wondering when I need to give my notice in. Am I supposed to give a whole term's notice or is it measured in weeks?

I'm feeling quite bad about doing this anyway but it is becoming impractical now there's more than one child in he equation.

Any advice gratefully accepted.

As far as I know (but whilst I am a teacher I have not taught for 4 yrs as been SAHM) you have to give half a terms notice so I guess if you resign by Christmas you can go at feb. half term. I guess you could ask to be released early as long as you have done 13 weeks and a kindly head might agree as perhaps easier to fill a post by term rather than at half term??/ You can leave without giving the full notice too I suppose but might well find yourself with a huge black mark for the future? Dont feel bad though at all, as my head said to me on a similar point..these are your legal rights and you have worked to be entitled to them so just do what you have to do for your family!

Thanks Cuggles, I think that could possibly work. Possibly.

Child care is problematic, because the way we're organising it at the moment, my dh is taking holiday in order to cover me - this cannot be sustained. It's annoying that you're given the 13 weeks thing but, really, you have to fit in with half terms.

The school I'm in hasn't got a very approachable SMT so I'd be nervous about showing my hand too early.

The guilt seems to be built in in teachers, I think! It makes me nervous, resigning completely. I've been teaching for a long time, am expensive and worry slightly about what else I could do when the dc are big enough for me to go back to work. I do feel like a square peg in a round hole these days wrt teaching. Still love, love, love the teaching but find it more and more difficult to enjoy the job...

Grr, decisions.

You could be me..expensive, experienced love the job etc. etc. I worried and worried when I first took time out that I would never get back in, always was on my mind (I even had a thread or two about it!)but have calmed that down a bit as I have had a few opportunities come my way (not that I can take them yet but it means there are things out there!). I make sure I keep up with current practice through seeing teacher friends regularly and network a little through them too (e.g. I attended a teachmeet cpd event recently). Also I comfort myself that with academies and free school setting own payscales and with the change in ruling about schools having to keep you on the same payspine, it wont be so difficult to get back in in terms of salary at least! I have also done some tutoring both privately and within a school whilst I have been on my break. It has been good all in all although I do look forward to returning.Good luck whatever you decide

It sounds like taking time out has been positive for you. That's encouraging. Thanks for the advice and good wishes :)

You have to leave at the end of a full term. So hand in notice by 28th Feb to leave at the end of the Spring Term.

If you can't speak to smt call your local authorities HR dept to clarify as things are different in different local authorities.

Ok, thanks for that. If I can't leave at half term, I don't know what I'm going to do. Need to ring the LA, which is a lengthy, protracted nightmare in my previous experience.

Thanks again.

I once left at a February half term. I handed in my notice just after the October half term and left just less than a term later.

Check with your union.

Thanks Littlefish. I have been in touch with the union rep and am going to have a proper conversation with her tomorrow.

Fingers crossed.

Thanks Littlefish. I have been in touch with the union rep and am going to have a proper conversation with her tomorrow.

Fingers crossed.

Thanks Littlefish. I have been in touch with the union rep and am going to have a proper conversation with her tomorrow.

Fingers crossed.

Eek, didn't mean to repeat myself like that. Sorry.