Teachers' maternity pay

Teachers in local authority maintained schools in England and Wales are covered by the occupational maternity scheme in the Burgundy Book, the national agreement on teachers’ conditions. With enough continuous service it pays a short period at full pay, a short period at slightly reduced pay, then a longer period at half pay with Statutory Maternity Pay added, followed by SMP alone. Teachers who do not meet the service condition get SMP only, if they qualify for it.

Statutory pay first

Every teacher who meets the statutory conditions gets SMP: 90 per cent of average weekly earnings for 6 weeks, then £194.32 a week, or 90 per cent of earnings if that is lower, for 33 weeks. You qualify with 26 weeks’ continuous employment with your employer by the 15th week before the due week and average earnings of at least £129 a week. Leave itself is up to 52 weeks for every employee, from the first day in the job. Our guide to maternity leave and pay covers the statutory rules in full.

The Burgundy Book scheme is built around this. SMP is counted inside the occupational payments during the full-pay stages and added to the half-pay stage, so the total never exceeds full pay.

What the Burgundy Book adds

The scheme has two conditions. You need at least one year’s continuous service with one or more local authorities by the 11th week before the expected week of childbirth, and you must say that you intend to return to teaching after the leave. The full rules are in the Burgundy Book itself, which your local authority or school HR provider can give you. Teaching unions publish it for members too.

If you meet the service rule, the occupational payments come in stages:

1. Four weeks on full pay (with SMP counted within it).
2. Two weeks at 90 per cent of a week’s pay (again with SMP counted within it).
3. Twelve weeks on half pay plus SMP, as long as the total does not exceed full pay.
4. The remaining 21 weeks of SMP at the statutory rate.
5. The last 13 weeks of the 52, unpaid.

You need to go back to teaching for at least 13 weeks after the leave. If you do not, the half-pay element can be reclaimed. SMP cannot be reclaimed.

Academies, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Academy trusts are not bound by the Burgundy Book. Many copy it into their contracts, and staff who moved across when a school converted usually keep it under TUPE. Some trusts run their own scheme, which may be better or worse. If you might need it in the next year or two, read the trust’s family leave policy before you accept a post. Our guide to academies and maintained schools covers the wider differences.

Continuous service is the main trap. Moving from a maintained school to an academy, or between trusts, may or may not preserve your service for maternity purposes, depending on the new employer’s policy.

Teachers in Scotland are covered by the SNCT, and teachers in Northern Ireland by their own national terms. Both have occupational maternity schemes with their own rules.

Pay rises, progression and pension

The 2026/27 pay award for teachers in England is 3.5 per cent from 1 September 2026, once the new pay document is in force. If it is backdated while you are on leave, your maternity pay should be recalculated to include it, and in some cases your SMP goes up too. Ask payroll to check once the arrears are paid.

Maternity leave should not hold back your pay progression. Under the Equality Act 2010 a school cannot treat you less favourably because you were on maternity leave, so progression decisions have to account for the time you were away.

You stay in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. Contributions come out of the pay you actually receive, so they fall during half pay and SMP stages. The Teachers’ Pension Scheme guide explains how unpaid periods affect your pension and whether you can make up the gap.

Holidays and timing

Teachers take their leave in the school holidays. If your maternity leave covers a holiday period, you may still be owed statutory holiday when you return, because the 5.6 weeks’ statutory entitlement keeps accruing during maternity leave. Schools handle this in different ways, so raise it before your return date.

Returning at the start of a term is often simplest for timetabling, and many teachers plan their leave to return in September or January. If you decide not to return at all, the Burgundy Book resignation dates still apply to your notice. See teacher resignation deadlines and talk to your union (NEU, NASUWT, NAHT or ASCL) before you hand in notice while on maternity leave, so you understand any repayment.