KIT days at secondary

[MrsCK]

Are they an entitlement for teachers or up to the head's discretion?

also...do we accrue holidays whilst on maternity? I ask because a colleague in FE is returning to work in the January having taken a full year off but is paid from October her holiday pay. I don't know if it's different in secondary

I was told that holiday accrument technically happens in wales and England but not really as the head can direct you to take accrued holidays in holiday time. I was told that it's different in Scotland but I'm not certain. I think that the KIT days are I kid mutually agreed.

I found my Union office really helpful with these sorts of things even when I was on Mat leave and therefor paying reduced subs. Give them a ring to put your mind at ease.

Howaboutthisone: could you explain in a little more detail what you mean about the holidays for teachers on maternity leave? Are you saying that teachers do not benefit from any holidays at all whilst on maternity leave? Are you saying that they have to take the holidays during the school holidays and if so does that mean that teachers get full pay during school holidays regardless of what point they are at in their maternity leave?

I'm really no expert and am speaking from hazy memory but I'm pretty sure that when you're on maternity leave, holidays don't really exist. You have leave for x number of months and those months are treated on a weekly basis with no difference made of there being any non term time (ie holiday) days in them. Then when you go back any holiday you missed is just pretty much gone. I remember being off at the same time as a friend working for the NHS and she was able to take a year off- 9 months then nearly three months back to full pay as her holiday accrual. I went back after the 8 months and it was back to normal.
I was told by the union that in theory you accrue but then the LA tell you to take accrued holiday during the existing holidays that you get anyway.

I'm sorry if I'm not explaining clearly! It all seems a bit strange to be honest.

And no- it's still maternity pay for the holidays that fall when you're off, not full pay as if they were being counted as holidays. That's my understanding anyway.

Sorry another thought! I think it's got something to do with the way they define the salary as being split over 12 months rather than calling the school holidays paid holiday time? I hope someone who actually knows comes along soon!

Thanks. What you have written is how I have understood it too. I just wanted to check. It doesn't seem very fair really. I accept teachers should not get all of their usual school holidays during maternity leave but surely they should be entitled to some of them!!

I was advised to state my date of return to work would be the first Monday of the summer holidays. I was then paid my full salary for the six weeks and returned at the beginning of the autumn term. You should definitely contact your union and speak to your school HR person and check they are saying the same thing. I took independent employment law advice as well just in case, but my situation was complicated.

Regarding the KIT days, my school didn't seem to have a policy on this. I went in a couple of times to do handover, but it was left up to me to arrange. I was refused permission to attend subject-specific CPD that occurred while I was on leave, however.

You don't accrue holidays but you can put your return date as the start of a holiday and get paid proper pay for it (your maternity cover if you have one then doesn't get paid for that holiday).

When I went back, I went back full time from the start of the summer, then part time from September so I got full pay for the holidays, which was nice.

It's rubbish really about paid holidays isn't it? ho hum. I'm returning at the start of a holiday as I'd twigged that one. hopefully I will be allowed to do kit days...the pay would be useful!