MATERNITY LEAVE MATERNITY BENEFITS

							The Alpha Plus Group of Schools & Colleges

MATERNITY LEAVE &
MATERNITY BENEFITS


Introduction
This Policy Statement sets out the rights of pregnant employees with regard
to Maternity Leave and Maternity Pay, and provides guidance on the
procedures to be followed in notifying us of your intention to take maternity
leave. The Alpha Plus Group will support every pregnant employee to
ensure they receive all the leave and other benefits to which they are
entitled. The qualifying dates and periods for various entitlements can be
complex to interpret, and this Policy Statement is only a summary of the
regulations. Further guidance can be obtained from your School Head or
College Principal, or from the Payroll Manager at Group Head Office (020
74876008). There are changes to the entitlements to maternity leave and
maternity pay for all mothers whose babies are expected to be born after 1st
April 2007; this policy statement reflects those changes.


Maternity Leave
All female employees who are expectant mothers will be entitled to 26
weeks (6 months) ordinary maternity leave, followed by a further 26 weeks
additional maternity leave, making one year in all, regardless of the length
of time for which you have been employed by the Group.

Once your pregnancy has been confirmed, and you have decided to take
maternity leave, you should write to your School Head, College Principal or
other relevant senior manager to inform them of your intention. A copy of
this letter should also be sent to the Group Payroll Manager, along with the
original MATB1 Form. The MATB1 Form is available form your Doctor or
Midwife. After 26 weeks of pregnancy maternity pay cannot be paid without
a MATB1 Form. The required letter should contain:
    •   Confirmation that you are pregnant; and
    •   When you want your maternity leave to start.

Maternity leave cannot start before the 11th week prior to the date the baby
is expected to be born, and may start at any time after the 11th week up to
the time of the baby’s birth. Where possible we would appreciate if teaching
staff started their maternity leave at the end of a term or half term
wherever possible as this helps us in the provision of relief teaching staff.

This letter should be sent no later than the end of the 15th week before your
expected date of confinement; should you change your mind about your
dates you must let us know as soon as possible. You should confirm the
new date in writing. In turn you will receive an acknowledgement letter,
confirming that we know of your intention to take maternity leave and
giving the date when we expect you to return to work.



Alpha Plus Group Limited          Page 1 of 5                   Maternity Leave
Group Personnel Policies                                             Version 3.3
All Establishments                                              September 2010
MATERNITY LEAVE & MATERNITY BENEFITS


If you return to work at or before the end of your ordinary maternity leave
(i.e. within 6 months of starting maternity leave), you are entitled to return
to the same job on the same terms and conditions as that which you left.
However on returning from additional maternity leave, if it is not reasonably
practicable to return to your previous role, we will offer you an equivalent
post, which may be within another establishment managed by the Group. If
you are offered an alternative post, we will meet any reasonable additional
travelling expenses for the first twelve months you are in this new post. In
the unlikely event there are major changes within your school or college
which result in redundancies, you will be considered along with your
colleagues on the objective criteria used for the identification of redundant
posts, as if you were still at work

We will normally assume you are returning to work at the end of the full 52
weeks maternity leave. If you decide to return to work before the end of the
full 52 weeks maternity leave entitlement, you must give us at least 8
weeks’ notice of your intention to return early. We may, at our discretion,
allow you to return to work without giving the full eight weeks’ notice. If
you change your mind about your return date, you must tell us at the
earliest opportunity, and give us at least eight weeks’ notice in advance of
the new return date, subject to your return not being extended beyond the
normal end of your 52 week period of maternity leave.

If you decide not to return to work at the end of your maternity leave, you
must give us the notice required in your contract of employment. For all
staff except teaching staff in schools who are required to give notice of at
least one term, this means you must tell us you are not returning at the end
of your maternity leave at least 4 weeks before it ends, plus 1 week for
each complete year of employment within the Group, up to a maximum of
twelve weeks. For teaching staff in schools the notice required is as follows:
    •   If the normal end of your maternity leave falls within a school term,
        no later than the end of the term preceding that term; or
    •   If the normal end of your maternity leave falls within a school
        holiday, no later than the end of the term preceding the term prior to
        that holiday period.

Annual leave cannot be taken whilst on maternity leave. However, subject
to the normal rules for approving holiday requests annual leave may be
taken immediately prior to or immediately following a period of maternity
leave, subject to the contractual requirement that teaching staff take the
normal school holidays as annual leave.

If you have chosen to start your maternity leave less than four weeks
before the expected date of confinement, and you then become ill with a
condition linked to your pregnancy which forces you to take time off work,
your maternity leave will then start on the first day of your sickness
absence




Alpha Plus Group Limited            Page 2 of 5                    Maternity Leave
Group Personnel Policies                                                Version 3.3
All Establishments                                                 September 2010
MATERNITY LEAVE & MATERNITY BENEFITS


Keeping in Touch
During your maternity leave it will be helpful to keep in touch with your
school. This will enable you to be aware of developments which might affect
your job when you return. We will also try to keep in touch with you while
you are on maternity leave, to discuss such things as arrangements for your
return to work, or to update you on any significant changes in the
workplace while you've been away.

You are also entitled to do up to ten days work during your maternity leave
without losing maternity pay or bringing your leave to an end. These
'keeping in touch days' may be worked by agreement between yourself and
your normal line manager. These days are intended to make it easier for
you to return to work after your leave. These days will be particularly useful
for things such as training or team events, and we will endeavour to invite
you to appropriate events. If there are other things you would like to do on
these days, please discuss with your head teacher, college principal or
other line manager. It will be at the Company’s discretion whether you will
be paid for these “keeping in touch days” at your normal rate, however you
are not entitled to receive your normal rate of pay and maternity pay at the
same time.


Statutory Maternity Pay and Allowance
You will be entitled to statutory maternity pay for the first 39 weeks of your
maternity leave if you have worked for Alpha Plus for at least 26 weeks by
the start of the 15th week before your baby is due to be born, subject to
your earnings exceeding the National Insurance threshold. For the first six
weeks of your maternity leave you will receive maternity pay at the rate of
90% of your normal (average) earnings; followed by 33 weeks at the flat
rate SMP (or the lower of 90% of average earnings if this is less than the
flat rate). The remaining 13 weeks is unpaid leave. Statutory maternity pay
is paid through the Group payroll, and is subject to the normal deductions
of income tax and national insurance.

If you are not eligible for maternity pay, you may be able to claim maternity
allowance. This is a state benefit which depends on your national insurance
contributions record. Maternity Allowance is claimed from and paid by the
Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). More information can be found in
a leaflet N17A produced by the DWP [see www.dwp.gov.uk].


Occupational Maternity Pay
If you have worked for Alpha Plus for at least 52 weeks by the start of the
15th week before your baby is due to be born, you may be eligible for
occupational maternity pay which is paid for the first 18 weeks of your
absence. During the first 4 weeks you will receive your normal pay and
during the next 2 weeks 90% of your normal pay. Throughout this 6 week
period the statutory maternity pay to which you are entitled will be offset
against your occupational maternity pay; i.e. you will not receive more than
100% or 90% of your normal pay respectively. For the next 12 weeks you

Alpha Plus Group Limited          Page 3 of 5                    Maternity Leave
Group Personnel Policies                                              Version 3.3
All Establishments                                               September 2010
MATERNITY LEAVE & MATERNITY BENEFITS


will receive 50% of your normal pay without any offsetting of statutory
maternity pay, except to the extent to which the combined occupational and
statutory maternity pay exceeds your normal full pay. Occupational
maternity pay is paid through the Group payroll, and is subject to the
normal deductions of income tax and national insurance.

To be eligible for occupational maternity pay, you must inform us of your
intention to return to work before you start your maternity leave. If you do
not return to work or do not remain in your job for a minimum of 13 weeks
(not counting any period of sick leave you may have at this time) the Group
reserves the right to seek reimbursement of the occupational maternity pay
you have received.


Ante-natal Care
You are entitled to reasonable paid leave of absence for ante-natal care,
such as routine visits to your doctor or to the ante-natal clinic at hospital.
These visits must be ones which have been recommended by your medical
advisers and the Group reserves the right to request confirmation of the
recommendations.


Other Potential Entitlements
You should be aware that when you return to work you may have a
statutory right to request a flexible working arrangement to help you cope
with your parental responsibilities. The Group’s policy with regard to flexible
working is described in a separate Policy Statement. Please bear in mind
that whilst all requests will be given due consideration, our ability to agree
to flexible working arrangements is severely restricted due to the normal
working pattern and timetable of the teaching environment.

Fathers of new born children are entitled to up to two weeks paid leave to
care for their new baby and support their partner.

People who adopt children are entitled to leave and benefits which are
similar to those applying to mothers expecting a child. Please seek specific
advice from the Payroll Manager if this applies to you.

Every member of staff who is a parent and has worked for us for at least
one year is also entitled to a total of 13 weeks unpaid leave to care for their
child prior to the child’s 5th birthday. A greater entitlement applies to the
parent of a disabled child.

Further details of all these employee rights and benefits are set out in
separate Policy Statements.




Alpha Plus Group Limited           Page 4 of 5                    Maternity Leave
Group Personnel Policies                                               Version 3.3
All Establishments                                                September 2010
MATERNITY LEAVE & MATERNITY BENEFITS


Interpretation

This policy applies in all schools, colleges other work environments within
the Group.

This policy applies within the following companies, which are wholly owned
subsidiaries of Alpha Plus Holdings Limited, a company registered in
England, registered number 4418776, that is to say:
        Alpha Plus Group Limited, registered number 438111

        A.W. & P. Patton Ltd, registered number 507496

        Alpha Plus Schools Limited, registered number 3867464,

and the terms “Group” and “Company” should be interpreted accordingly,
dependent on the employing company.

The registered office of all companies is 50 Queen Anne Street, London
W1G 8HJ. Any enquiries regarding the application of this policy should be
addressed to the Director of Operations at that address.




Alpha Plus Group Limited          Page 5 of 5                    Maternity Leave
Group Personnel Policies                                              Version 3.3
All Establishments                                               September 2010