Advice from the many MN teachers out there!

[sarahhal]

I haven't even started my maternity leave yet(due in Sept)but am already having doubts about going back. I've been part time since returning after DS and I'm just not sure that my heart is in to go back after number 2 is born. I'm not due to go back until next Easter which I know is ages away, but wondered if anyone knows how much notice you have to give or how much maternity pay you have to pay back if you decide not to go back.

don't be afraid to ask your union rep at work for answers to questions. DON'T ASK PERSONNEL, they are not impartial, and will LIE, LIE, LIE. u don't have to be a member, and make sure u ask in writing.

i worked for a private school when i was preg. they paid me mat leave (even tho' they knew i had moved away ) and i didnt have to pay it back when i didnt go back. In fact, when i handed my notice in after my mat pay had run out, they paid me a months holiday pay too!

From memory you only have to pay back your non-statutory pay if you decide not to go back. I felt the same as you ...did a job share after ds1 and I gave up after ds2 and was sahm for 4 years, loved it btw! I knew it was likely I would give up so I chose not to take the extra money at all.

Sarah, I presume that as you're not starting your Mat leave til summer then you can take extended non paid leave til next summer.
Spykid is right, you only have to pay back the statutory pay (£106pw, I think)You get this for 12 weeks so they expect 12 wks service or pay back.
BUT, service counts towards paying it back. SO, if you "returned" on the first day of the hols, technically, you'll have paid back 6 of the 12 wks. Or go back the last wk of term and you've paid back 7wks!
Also, I'm sure (but not certain) that you only need to give them 28days notice!
Hope this helps.

N.B this is based on full time so adjust it to your hours.

verything over and above what the government give you
and you have to give 28 days notice if when you want to go back
not sure if handing in your notice thogh

Teaching follows the same maternity leave conventions as any other job. When I was last on maternity leave, my school sent me a letter towards the end of it (I think they have to send it 3 or 4 weeks before the leave finishes) asking me if I intended to return to work or not. I simply replied no - there was no need for a formal notice letter, although it's polite to write an "I've enjoyed working with you" letter.

As for maternity pay, you only have to pay back any extra they have given you. For example, when I was on mat leave, the SSP was 90% of the normal pay, but my county pay 100%, so I had to pay back the extra 10%.

You don't have to make any decisions until about a month before you are due to return to work, so it's usually easiest to say you will. Even if you are 99% certain that you won't and tell the school that, they will only fill your place with a maternity cover, so you are not really doing them any favours by being candid. Think of numero uno.

Thanks for all your advice! Considering I don't even start my official leave until the first day of autumn term ( good planning there ) I know I'm getting in an unecessary tizz!

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