#27 We need to talk about… supporting teachers returning from parental leave
Hello again, and thanks for joining me. In this post, I’m sharing practical ways to support staff returning from extended parental leave.
Returning to teaching after parental leave can be both energising and disorienting. For many, it’s a powerful moment of reconnecting with professional identity after a deeply personal and transformative experience. But it can also bring internal doubts, external pressures, and overwhelming expectations.
Too often, schools aren’t structured to support this transition meaningfully, and that has consequences for retention and wellbeing.
Here are some practical ways schools can better support new mothers and fathers returning to teaching after a period of extended parental leave, whether they’re returning either full-time or part-time:
1. Use KIT days creatively
KIT (keeping in touch) days aren’t just administrative tools. They’re a chance to rebuild confidence and professional identity slowly. Offer KIT day opportunities that are meaningful, such as attending a conference, joining a team meeting, or taking part in a staff INSET. Ensure these are led by the returner’s priorities.
2. Re-induct returning staff
We offer full inductions to ECTs and new staff but often overlook the need to reorient someone who’s been away for many months. As well as a reminder of logistics, reinduction can be a fantastic way to rebuild confidence.
A strong re-induction can include:
Time to re-learn systems and routines
A walkthrough of recent priorities and changes
Introductions to new colleagues
A safe space to ask questions without feeling behind
Opportunities to express uncertainty or nerves
3. Build informal buddy systems
Informal peer support makes a big difference. A trusted colleague, especially someone who has navigated the same transition, can offer empathy, advice, and visibility. These buddy systems don’t need to be formal or time-consuming; they’re about connection.
4. Make the space literal and practical
Workplaces have a legal duty to provide a safe, private space for expressing milk, but this is often overlooked. A clean, lockable room with a chair and power source is not a luxury; it is a matter of legal compliance and care.
5. Don’t forget them
Once the initial questions fade, structured and ongoing line management remains crucial. Showing steady, empathetic leadership that recognises post-natal mental health risks and the physical and emotional recalibration needed to return well is essential, rather than micromanagement.
‘Please, Head of Department, do not forget me. Do not think that, because I am sat with a cup of tea to my mouth and a purple feedback pen in my hand that I am fully restored to the teacher that I once was… I want to be here. I want to do well. I want a bit of ‘myself’ back. I want this identity. I don’t just want to be ‘dad’ or ‘mum’. It just might take me longer to get there than we hoped.’
Supporting returners well shouldn’t rely on individual resilience alone. Rather, it should be embedded in culture, policy, and planning. In the face of a recruitment and retention crisis, it is imperative that school leaders support staff returning from parental leave deliberately and systemically - not just informally or reactively.
Thanks for stopping by. Until next time, when I’ll explore supporting leader-mothers returning from maternity leave.
References:
Worth, P. (2018) An open letter to heads of department after returning from parental leave, Lobworth. Available at: https://lobworth.com/2018/06/04/an-open-letter-to-heads-of-department-after-returning-from-parental-leave/ (Accessed: 01 July 2025).