Would someone apply now for a teaching job if they are due in Sept?

[Fou]

I know someone who has been offered a teaching job starting in September. I suspect (haven't been told, so it could all be in my imagination!) that this person is about 4 months pregnant. So how does it work with teaching? Does the new school just have to find supply to cover her maternity leave, and then she starts the job at the end of maternity leave?

It's none of my business really, just curious as to how it works in teaching. Obviously she can't put her career on hold because she's pg, but in most another jobs she would start work now, then go on ML in a few months.

I can't see how the fact that the job happens to be teaching would make any difference? The school wouldn't be able to withdraw the offer of employment because of pregnancy/maternity leave any more than any other employer.

It does seem strange that someone would apply for a job starting at or around the time they are due to give birth, unless perhaps she is planning to take a very short maternity leave. Her decision though, and of course she may not be pregnant at all...

I do know someone who had a similar situation - having been told she wouldn't have children, it turned out to her surprise she was pregnant when she started her new teaching post. She did the first term and then went on maternity leave, and a supply took over for two terms before she went back, with her coming in to oversee more strategic issues occasionally. It was a bit difficult for her financially, as she only got SMP, but things worked out. From the school's point of view, she was going to be there for several years, so ultimately whether her maternity leave was then or later didn't make much difference.

Thanks for the replies. It's not strange that she applied for a new job, her DH has a new job in a different area, and I can see that she wants/needs to continue working. It's a good point about the school seeing things long term. If they employ a female in her late 20's the likelihood of he taking maternity leave in the next few years is pretty high.