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Written question asked by Saqib Bhatti (Conservative) on Monday, 16 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 23 March 2026 (named day). It was answered by Georgia Gould (Labour) on Monday, 23 March 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Teachers: Materinty Pay

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of maternity pay reforms on teacher retention.

Answer

This government is committed to tackling recruitment and retention challenges and supporting teachers to stay in the profession and thrive.

The recent Schools White Paper announced our commitment to fund improvements to maternity pay for school and college teachers, leaders and support staff. From September 2027/28, school teachers and leaders will see their period of full maternity pay, doubled from the current offer of 4 weeks of full pay to 8 weeks. The announcement responds to evidence that women aged 30 to 39 are the largest group of leavers from the school teacher workforce in terms of volume, which could be linked to choosing between a career and having a family.

While we are not able to share the exact funding amount at this stage, we will fully fund the improved maternity offer at a national level and are currently finalising the estimates.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
120953
Session
2024-26
Related items
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Maternity pay Labour turnover Teachers
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk