Anyone on SMT in a school and returned part time after maternity leave?

[loopy11]

I'm currently an Assistant Head Teacher at a primary school and my baby is due in April. I'm planning on taking a year off and returning to work three days a week but not sure how this would work. I know lots of teachers return part time but don't know how it would work with my management responsibilities. Does anyone have experience of job shares on Senior Managament teams and if so how they work practically? Also not sure how/when to broach the subject with my headteacher. Any advice?
PS. My responsibities include line management, EYFS and Assessment.
Thanks!

I am on SMT and pregnant, I have been offered a 4 day week for the first half term back after maternity leave.

We are still discussing it

Hi loopy
I am just a normal teacher (secondary) but I returned part time (3 days) this month after 1 years' maternity leave. I was able to choose my own days and my Head was very flexible about this.
However, I did used to hold a TLR1 for a whole-school responsibility, and I am unable to continue in this role. I put forward a case for me being able to manage it on a part time basis (and on 0.6 pay of course) 3 months before I was due to return but the governors turned it down.
I was disappointed to be honest.
On the plus side, I'm really happy about my choice to return part time and it is working out well for me, my family and school. Good luck.

In my primary school, we have 2 deputies. One works 4 days (teaches for 3), the other works in the same class and teaches for 2 days with the other as management time. It works very well.

Hi,

A friend at our school had a similar situation to yourself. She did 3 days a week with a newly recruited job share teacher. The job share was an experienced teacher but not SMT. My friend then had 2.5 days class contact and other teacher covered her PPA whilst friend was in school doing management stuff. She remained SMT but gave up some of her responsibility areas - e.g Assessment.

Worked quite well but sometimes those days when you are not at school can be hard for you. In the main it worked well.

In my case it has been suggested that on my day at home I can be contactable by email/phone. I should also do tasks that can be done from home.

Well, unfortunately it didn't work for me - I had a SLT role and my flexible working request was turned down flat.

Hence posting on here at 11 am on a Monday morning!

Seriously, you need to seek as much information/advice as possible and not be afraid to go for union support.

It makes me weep when I read of people giving up TLRs etc in order to work part time - why is teaching so backward in this respsect?

jenandberry

The odd emergency phonecall might be possible but I would be wary of offering to do tasks from home on your day at home, because that day you will be looking after your baby.

It might be do-able when they are a placid 7 month old sitting on the playmat, but not when they are a busy 15 month old trying to catapault themselves off the sofa and eat unidentified objects at every opportunity!

My mother (nearing retirement) is a Deputy Head on 3 days a week. She doesn't teach a class, but covers PPA time in addition to her Deputy responsibilities.

Branchingout I will be back at work long before the baby is 17 months old. I will be taking a short maternity leave.

WHoops, I misread your first post and thought that the day at home was an ongoing thing.

I will only be taking 4 months leave. For the first term after returning I will be on a 4 day week in school but will be available at home on the fifth day. I will then go back to full time.