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Recent and upcoming changes to teachers’ maternity pay in the UK
Teachers’ maternity pay is made up of statutory entitlements and, for most teachers in maintained schools and many academies in England and Wales, enhanced occupational schemes set out in the Burgundy Book. Teachers in Scotland and Northern Ireland are covered by separate regional frameworks - more on those below. Recent updates affect both statutory rates and proposed enhancements to full pay periods.
The total amount depends on length of service and which scheme applies. Under the Burgundy Book - the national conditions governing most teachers in England and Wales - the pay structure for teachers with at least one year's continuous service receive is as follows:
- Full pay for the first four weeks
- 90% of contractual earnings for weeks five and six (inclusive of any statutory maternity pay)
- 50% of contractual earnings plus statutory maternity pay for weeks seven to 18
- Statutory maternity pay only for weeks 19 to 39
Teachers with between 26 weeks and one year's service receive statutory maternity pay only - 90% of average weekly earnings for the first six weeks, then £194.32 per week (2026 rate) for the remaining 33 weeks. Teachers with less than 26 weeks' service at their qualifying week are not entitled to statutory maternity pay at all.
It is also worth noting that teachers continue to move up the pay scale during maternity leave, which can affect overall earnings calculations.
The sections below explain each change and what it means in practice for your school or trust.
Changes to apply from 6 April 2026
From 6 April 2026, statutory maternity pay increased from £187.18 to £194.32 per week. This applies to all employers, including schools and academies, and directly impacts maternity leave for teachers.
For payroll teams, this is an immediate compliance requirement. Systems must be updated so that all eligible employees receive the correct statutory rate from the effective date. Any delay or inaccuracy could lead to underpayments, back-pay corrections, and HMRC compliance risk.
You should also review how this change affects any occupational maternity schemes you have in place. In many cases, statutory maternity pay is offset against enhanced pay, so even small increases can affect total payroll calculations. It’s important to check that payslips, reporting and internal processes reflect the updated rate - and if you're running occupational schemes across a MAT, verify this has been applied consistently across every school.
Changes to apply from the 2027–28 academic year
The government announced in the February 2026 Schools White Paper that full maternity pay for teachers and school leaders will double from four to eight weeks from the 2027-28 academic year, backed by DfE funding. For maintained schools, this will flow through a revision to the Burgundy Book. For academy trusts, the change is subject to the Schools Bill passing — if it does, academies will be required to follow national pay and conditions including the new maternity rules. Either way, schools and trusts should begin reviewing policies and modelling cost implications now.
For schools and MATs, this is less about immediate compliance and more about planning. Doubling the full-pay period will increase staffing costs, particularly when combined with cover arrangements. Finance and HR teams should assess how extended full pay could affect budgets, especially in larger trusts where multiple maternity cases may overlap.
For a broader overview of employment law changes affecting schools, our article on key HR legislation updates for schools and trusts covers the wider legislative picture.
How Access Education People helps schools and MATs manage maternity pay
As maternity pay becomes more complex, particularly with upcoming changes, manual processes can increase the risk of errors and inefficiencies. Access Education People is built specifically for schools and MATs, and supports teams with the complexity of managing maternity pay, including upcoming changes.
Automates maternity pay calculations
Access Education People makes it easier to apply updates such as the April 2026 statutory increase without needing to adjust calculations manually across multiple employees. This helps ensure consistency across payroll runs and reduces the risk of discrepancies when managing multiple maternity cases across a school or trust.
Supports compliance with maternity pay rules
Keeping up with regulatory changes is an ongoing challenge for school HR and payroll teams. Access Education People’s built-in compliance tools help to ensure that your processes align with the latest requirements for teachers maternity pay, reducing the risk of non-compliance.
By embedding rules and thresholds into the system with automatic updates, HR and payroll teams can be confident that payments and entitlements are calculated correctly. This also provides an audit trail, making it easier to demonstrate compliance during internal or external reviews.
For a broader overview of employment law changes affecting schools and MATs, our guide to UK education HR legislation covers the wider legislative picture.
Tracks leave and entitlements in real time
Managing maternity leave across a school or trust requires clear visibility of who is on leave, when they are due to return, and what they are entitled to. Access Education People’s real-time tracking helps teams to stay organised and avoid gaps in planning.
This is particularly important in MATs, where multiple schools may be managing maternity cases at the same time. This gives central HR teams confidence that entitlement data is accurate and up to date across the trust, reducing the risk of inconsistencies between schools or payroll records.
Connects HR and payroll for more efficient processing
Disconnected systems can lead to duplication, errors and delays. Access Education People integrates HR records directly with our managed payroll service, so maternity leave data, contract changes and pay adjustments flow between systems, without manual intervention.
This also makes it easier to implement changes quickly, such as updating statutory pay rates or adjusting policies. It reduces manual intervention, helping payroll and HR teams to process updates with greater speed and confidence across the trust.
For more information on how integrated HR and payroll works in practice, our guide to reliable and accurate payroll for schools and MATs covers the key benefits for schools and trusts.
Scales maternity pay processes across trusts
For growing trusts, consistency is key. Access Education People makes it easy to standardise maternity pay processes across multiple schools, ensuring that policies are applied fairly and accurately.
This is particularly valuable when preparing for future changes, such as the proposed extension of full maternity pay, as updates can be applied centrally rather than managed individually.
Our guide to supporting People at Scale: Why Flow Matters in Growing Trusts covers how connected HR and payroll helps MATs manage workforce complexity as they expand.
Maternity leave for teachers: FAQs
Are teachers entitled to maternity leave?
Yes. All teachers are entitled to up to 52 weeks of maternity leave, made up of ordinary and additional maternity leave. This applies regardless of their length of service. However, entitlement to pay depends on service length. Teachers need at least 26 weeks' continuous service by the end of their qualifying week (the 15th week before the expected birth) to receive statutory maternity pay. Those with less than 26 weeks may be eligible for maternity allowance instead. Teachers need at least one year's continuous service to qualify for occupational maternity pay under the Burgundy Book. Supply teachers may not receive occupational benefits, but they can still qualify for statutory leave and pay if eligibility criteria are met.
How does maternity leave work for teachers?
Before their statutory leave, teachers are able to take time off whenever needed for antenatal appointments. To trigger maternity leave, teachers must notify their school at least 15 weeks before the expected birth, providing their due date, intended leave start date, and a MATB1 form from their midwife or GP. Schools should respond in writing within 28 days confirming the leave and pay arrangements.
Teachers who receive occupational maternity pay under the Burgundy Book are required to return to work for at least 13 weeks after their leave ends (including school holidays). If a teacher does not return, the school is entitled to reclaim the 12 weeks of half-pay occupational maternity pay, though headteachers have discretion to reduce or waive this. Schools should ensure this condition is clearly communicated and documented before leave begins.
During maternity leave, teachers can use Shared Parental Leave to share caring responsibilities and work up to 10 Keeping in Touch (KIT) days during their absence without bringing their maternity leave to an end. These KIT days are often used for training, meetings or gradual reintegration into school life.
Teachers on maternity leave retain the right to return to their role (or a suitable alternative in certain circumstances), which makes accurate record-keeping and clear internal processes essential. Schools and trusts should ensure that return-to-work planning starts well before the end of the leave period to support a smooth transition for both staff and pupils.
How much do teachers get paid for maternity leave?
For teachers on Burgundy Book terms with at least one year's service, maternity pay starts at full pay for four weeks, then 90% for two weeks, followed by 50% plus statutory pay for 12 weeks, then statutory pay only for the remaining weeks up to 39. The current statutory rate is £194.32 per week (from April 2026). Teachers with less than one year's service receive statutory pay only.
It’s important to remember that teachers also continue to move up the pay scale during maternity leave. This can affect overall earnings, making the calculation even more complex.
How much does school support staff get paid for maternity leave?
Support staff entitlements differ from teachers and depend on which national agreement applies. Support staff in most local authority-maintained schools are covered by the Green Book rather than the Burgundy Book. Green Book terms provide 90% pay for six weeks, 50% plus statutory maternity pay for 12 weeks, then statutory pay for the remainder of the 39 weeks. Academy trusts that do not follow the Green Book will have their own policies - HR teams should check individual contracts. The position for support staff on the proposed 2027-28 improvements is less certain: the government has tasked the new School Support Staff Negotiating Body with negotiating an equivalent improvement, but the outcome remains subject to negotiation.
Is maternity pay different for teachers in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
Yes. Maternity pay for teachers in Scotland is set under SNCT (Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers) conditions, rather than the Burgundy Book. The entitlement structure broadly mirrors Burgundy Book terms but is negotiated separately and administered differently - Scottish teachers should check their specific SNCT terms or contact their union for guidance.
Teachers in Northern Ireland also operate under a separate regional framework administered by the Education Authority; again the broad structure is similar but the specific terms differ. If you manage staff in Scotland or Northern Ireland, it is worth confirming which framework applies and whether your payroll systems reflect the correct regional terms.
How long is maternity leave for teachers?
Maternity leave for teachers can last for up to 52 weeks, split into 26 weeks of Ordinary and 26 weeks of Additional Maternity Leave. This is a statutory entitlement available to all employees regardless of length of service, regardless of how long they ultimately choose to take off.
Not all employees take the full entitlement, but schools should plan for long-term absence. Some trusts may also offer enhanced leave as part of their policies, so it’s important to check these agreements when forecasting staffing cover and budget impact.
What happens to a teacher's pension during maternity leave?
Teachers' pension contributions continue during paid maternity leave - both employer and employee contributions are maintained based on contractual pay, not the reduced rate being received. This means pensionable service is not affected during the paid period of leave.
During unpaid maternity leave, the position is different. Employee contributions are not required, but teachers can choose to pay contributions to cover the unpaid period and protect their pensionable service. Employers are not required to contribute during unpaid leave. Teachers should contact the Teachers' Pension Scheme directly to understand the options available to them.
For MATs managing multiple maternity cases, it is worth ensuring payroll systems correctly distinguish between paid and unpaid leave periods when processing TPS contributions, as errors here can affect long-term pension records.
What is the Burgundy Book?
The Burgundy Book - formally the National Conditions of Service for School Teachers in England and Wales - is the national collective agreement that sets out the contractual terms and conditions for teachers, including maternity pay entitlements. It is negotiated between teacher unions and local authority employer representatives.
Most teachers in community, foundation, voluntary controlled and voluntary aided schools are employed on Burgundy Book terms. The majority of academy trusts also follow Burgundy Book conditions, though they are not legally required to do so. Where an academy trust operates its own bespoke employment contracts, teachers' maternity entitlements may differ — HR teams should check individual contracts if in doubt.
Under the Schools Bill 2026, if passed, academies will be required to follow national pay and conditions for teachers, which would include Burgundy Book maternity provisions.
Can teachers work during maternity leave?
Yes - teachers can work up to 10 Keeping in Touch (KIT) days during their maternity leave without bringing their leave to an end. KIT days are commonly used for training, INSET days, team meetings or gradual reintegration into school life before the formal return date.
KIT days must be agreed between the teacher and the school - neither party can insist on them. Teachers should be paid for any KIT days worked, at a rate agreed with the school. Working a KIT day does not affect maternity pay entitlement for that week.
Schools should document KIT day agreements clearly, including the agreed pay rate and the nature of the work, to avoid disputes and ensure payroll records are accurate.
Managing teachers' maternity pay with Access Education People
Our HR software for schools and MATs, Access Education People, automates maternity pay calculations, applies statutory rate changes across your payroll, and gives central HR teams visibility across every school in your trust.
Not sure which HR system is right for your school or trust? Read our article: comparing HR software providers for schools and MATs.
