5 Things I Learnt After Returning To School From Maternity Leave
After months as a full-time parent, Sarah Hardy thought she was ready to return to the classroom – but she was wrong. Here, she presents the 5 biggest challenges women can expect to face following maternity leave…
- by Sarah Hardy
I had made it to work on time, despite the frantic first-day-back morning routine, and managed to get to the office without crying or needing to go back home for just one ‘final’ cuddle. I felt like I had climbed a mountain. But then I fell. It was such a simple thing – I sat at my computer and couldn’t remember which was the ‘Enter’ key. Strange, you might think – but I᾿d just spent 11 months at home on maternity leave and hadn᾿t touched a keyboard for year, aside from those 3am WhatsApp group messages to my NCT girls. What was I going to do? This was really embarrassing. I could have looked on Google, I could have called my husband, but no. I called the IT support team, who burst into fits of hysterics. It᾿s funny to look back on now – and quite honestly, in that first term there were many more stories like this while I was relearning how to be a professional and a school leader, not ‘just a mum᾿. But in reality, no one prepares you for returning from maternity leave after a really long time away from school – as an entirely different person with new responsibilities and challenges, at that. So let me be the first…
1. Childcare solutions and work-life balance
The single most important thing that allowed me to return to work was having high-quality childcare with which I felt 100% confident. As soon as you so much as think about going back to work, start the search. Look at every option you can find, and then consider how each will work for your family in the context of early meetings, after-school events and any additional responsibilities you may have. Do not leave this to the last minute. I made sure my son was comfortably settled into nursery a month before I went back to work, which meant I was able to do so without worrying about him and give my full attention to being a school leader. My partner and I had ‘the chat’, too – who would pick up, drop off and deal with poorly days or late nights. We established a clear routine to which we stuck, and had back-ups in place in case something unexpected kept one of us at work. The only reason I can still do this job is because we share the parenting 50/50.
When you have colleagues who are experiencing trying times with their childcare, please try to empathise with them and find viable solutions. And if you’re returning from maternity leave, be honest with your line manager about any challenges you may face, and let them know your plans in advance.
2. Imposter syndrome
I felt a complete phoney for a good number of months upon my return. I felt out of my depth and lacking in confidence – something I’d never experienced before. I felt like an imposter, and people who know me well would have been surprised at how quiet I was in meetings. For some time I just didn’t believe I had anything of use to say. After all, I had spent much of the last year drinking coffee and eating cake with my NCT mums. See a pattern here? They were the people who reassured me that I wasn’t the only one feeling this way, and we worked through it together. As an employee, try to build a similar network of people around you. As an employer, reassure any returning colleagues that they will have support in place. Remind them of their strengths and build their confidence as you would with an NQT. I actually found coming back from maternity leave harder than being an NQT, since as a new teacher you at least have that support from your Induction Mentor. I found that WomenEd was a hugely powerful network, enabling me to feel braver, stronger, not alone and confident in my role once again.
3. Keeping in touch
Use your Keeping In Touch (KIT) days, and use them well. Think about how you can utilise these times to keep up to date with current education practices, and be included in any training opportunities while you᾿re on maternity leave.
I used my first KIT day when my son was 12 weeks old to attend an end-of-year celebration event with learners; I timed it so that I could also chat informally with staff, which made me feel part of the team again. That sense of belonging is incredibly important in the first few weeks back. I went on to use some KIT days to complete my NPQH, and some to attend training events. I also took up a new role when I returned to school – the final few days helped me get up to speed with this. Making sure I had a clear purpose for each day meant they were well used. I᾿d advise planning with your colleagues to ensure that you get the same value, and don’t forget to stay up to date with current educational practice, policy and chat. I read a lot about assessment beyond levels and leadership models, which kept me feeling present in the current educational dialogue.
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4. Don’t try to be Icarus
Don’t fly too high or too low. Don’t settle for less because you are a working parent, but don’t take on too much to try and prove something about working parents’ capabilities. And don’t turn down promotions just because you’ve not long returned from maternity leave.
In the last 12 months I’ve benefited from two opportunities that have enabled me to progress into the role I currently hold, but I also knew my limits. I wasn’t able to work full-time as I knew it wouldn’t benefit my family, and this for me was non-negotiable. I feel privileged to be an executive head of a Teaching School Alliance in a part-time capacity – but also in that I have an outstanding team around me enabling me to do this.
5. Don’t compare your choices to others’
You chose what is right for you. Always remember that. It really is not an easy transition back to work; you will have days when you miss your children dearly, and you will have days when you look forward to the freedom of drop-off at the nursery door, staying at work until the last possible minute for collection. You will question yourself, and your new identity – but underneath it all is the same amazing professional, just with added skills of multi-tasking, storybook reading and BEAR yoyo eating!
Sarah Hardy is executive head of the TBAP Teaching School Alliance
