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Appraising staff on maternity, adoption and paternity leave

Understand your legal responsibilities for performance-managing teachers who are on maternity leave. Get tips on how to schedule appraisals, and set targets and objectives for staff on other types of family leave.

Last reviewed on 24 April 2025
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 9469
Contents
  1. Your requirements 
  2. Consider holding appraisals before your teacher goes on leave
  3. Reassess appraisal targets to make them achievable

Your requirements 

You must treat staff who are pregnant or on maternity leave equally with other staff (as set out in the Equality Act 2010, chapter 2, section 17 to 18), and avoid:

  • Direct discrimination – e.g. by denying pay progression because a teacher wasn't appraised due to her maternity leave
  • Indirect discrimination – e.g. by failing to take into account illness associated with pregnancy

The "protected period" for maternity "begins when the pregnancy begins" and ends when they return to work after the pregnancy, or at the end of their additional maternity leave period (chapter 2, section 18 of the Equality Act 2010, linked above).

Include teachers on family leave in your appraisal process

Take a practical and flexible approach to conducting appraisals and making pay decisions Not make them