Report writing at the start of maternity leave

[seven201]

I'm a secondary teacher and I go on maternity leave the first day after half term. There are lots of long reports due next term. One of them is due during half term so i fine with writing those ones (2 groups). A few weeks into the summer term there is a ks3 report deadline - I teach 3 groups. I'm in a non core subject and we teach one rotation so I won't actually have taught all these classes for very long (between 6 weeks and 12 weeks) for two lessons a week. There is also a yr 10 long report due slightly later on. I have been asking which reports I need to write for a while but haven't got an answer yet. I raised it again today and was told I'd probably have to write all of those ones. Whilst I appreciate that I will know them more than whoever covers me I feel I should be given time off timetable or a KIT day, but my HOD mentioned that I'm still being paid so should do them?! I'm not being paid at my normal salary though! I can see that it would be good for me to do the year 10 ones but I do think I should be given time to do this. For ks3 I don't see what is wrong with all of the students being given the same statement that I am on maternity leave and just summarising what they have learnt since September or for me to be given the time to do this. I have got a mammoth back log of marking (due to coursework marking taking priority) which I feel is more important. I've just finished a different set of long reports (2 classes) and have long tutor reports due in 1 1/2 weeks.

Am I being unreasonable and should do all of these reports during the start of my maternity leave (realistically I don't have time to do them before)? I'm knackered as I have bad back pain and awful acid reflux so do not get much sleep, I just want my maternity leave to be actual leave, not work.

my HOD mentioned that I'm still being paid so should do them

No, you are on maternity leave and so can't work, unless on an official KIT day, otherwise it could compromise your maternity pay.

I think you should do the Y10 ones as they are important, but a non-core rotation KS3 subject I can't imagine parents getting too het up about.

Oh, but only write the Y10 ones if you can do it now, not a chance you should do them at the time they are due in on your maternity leave. You'll have a baby!

Thanks noble, that's what I thought too but thought maybe I was being mean! The reports are all 'open' now so I think they might use that as their argument that I should get them all written before I leave (impossible unless they take me off timetable for at least a day). I really don't think parents would mind for ks3 non-core. We had year 10 parents evening last week so I will be repeating myself in their reports, but I can appreciate it would be good for me to write those.

If they're open now then you should do them before you leave. You've got a fair whack of time between now and half term.

But presumably you can't write the KS3 ones now if you've only taught them for a couple of lessons!

I did this once as a colleague (& friend) was taking over a Latin group for me. Otherwise she would've been stuck with doing them & she already taught French to practically that entire year group, so would have drowned!

With hindsight I should have insisted on a generic 'Mrs Crow is on ML so is unable to comment on the recent progress of individual students. This term the group have studied...' type comment going out.

I got held up as an example of good egg-ery next time SLG wanted to lean on someone on leave to do reports. Not my intention!

You won't be there when reports are due - not your problem, anymore than you need to worry about a Parents'Evening after your leaving date. It isn't calendared to happen on your watch!

It would however be reasonable for SLG to negotiate a day off timetable for you now if you are the best person to do them. As you say the y10 ones might be a priority here?

& yy you absolutely can't be asked to work during ML, outside of a dedicated KIT day.

Oh bum! I've got soooo much marking to do before I go, including lots of coursework for ks4 (60% of their GCSE) and 5 (50%
Of their grade) which takes forever to mark and I would never bodge that. I've also got tutor reports due soon and 2 classes of yr 7 long reports. If I do all of the reports within the next 4.5 weeks that's 7 classes! I'm normally very good and write detailed and personalised reports.

I already spend my evenings and weekends doing school work so I do not know how I can fit in 4 extra classes of long reports without them all being identical. I haven't taught the ks3 group that's due in June long enough to know them really, but I could write something very short about their work for the one project we've done and give them all the same targets. It doesn't help that I'm knackered and just want to go home and sleep after 5pm although today I have obviously opted for mumsnet instead.

Thanks crowy. That's the kind of statement I thought would be acceptable. I'm waiting for my HOD to ask her line manager about it
But I might send an email outlining the options and my need to prioritise other more important things before I leave.