Maternity and Paternity Support
The
MaternityTeacher
PaternityTeacher
Project
The UK’s charity for parent-teachers.
Support and entitlements for pregnant and expectant staff.
Networking, coaching and professional development during parental leave.
Return to work workshops and coaching support.
Family- and life-friendly schools.
Making teaching a sustainable career choice.
Cradle to Classroom programme
2026-27 Cradle to Classroom Information Event
Don't miss out on the chance to learn all about our funded programmes for next academic year. We're holding an information event this June:
Tuesday 23rd June
09:00-09:30
Sign up to receive joining details / a recording of the session if you cannot make it live:
Parental Leave group coaching programme - for colleagues currently on leave, or returning in September
"Midsummer" cohort begins on Thursday 2nd July
Recorded access available until August.
🔗 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/mtpt-parental-leave-group-coaching-cohorts-3435509
Summer Return to Work workshops - for colleagues returning in the summer term, or in September / early October
Monday 22nd June
Thursday 16th July
Recorded access available until August.
🔗 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/mtpt-return-to-work-workshops-3435429
Sustain and Grow group coaching - recorded access for colleagues with children aged 5 or younger who want a coaching boost over the summer months
Case Studies
Return to Work
As part of a regional partnership in the South West, OneCornwall are proud to be supporting The MTPT Project’s Cradle to Classroom programme of parental transition support throughout the academic year 2025-26.
The programme allows teachers, leaders and support staff working in state schools to access fully-funded group coaching and workshop support from the start of their parental leave all the way up to when their youngest child is 5 years old.
Findings from TeacherTapp revealed that ‘there is a big gap in support for teachers coming back from leave. Many said they felt forgotten, out of the loop, or like a spare part when they returned’, and as a result, ‘returning to work can feel ‘messy’’.
The New Britain Project and The MTPT Project’s Missing Mothers report found that only 38% of mother-teachers surveyed were satisfied with the maternity leave and transition support provided by their school.
Since 2023, The MTPT Project’s Cradle to Classroom programme has already changed this narrative for more than 700 new parents and colleagues with young families, including 90 participants based in the South West.
Mary, a Deputy Headteacher based in Wiltshire attended a Return to Work workshop in December 2024. This 90-minute interactive webinar offers participants the chance to prepare logistically and emotionally for a confident return to work.
Mary said the workshop gave her a sense of community, that showed her that “lots of people were going through the same challenges.” She valued the information provided about legal entitlements and where she could look to seek out further support if she needed it.
Ensuring all three elements of the Cradle to Classroom programme are fully-funded for state school colleagues is just one of the ways that OneCornwall is helping to improve working conditions for staff at this important point in their personal lives.
Upcoming Return to Work workshop dates and other regional sponsors can be found on Eventbrite.
A full outline of the Cradle to Classroom programme of parental transition support can be found on The MTPT Project’s website.
