70% of Teachers Consider Leaving After Maternity
Here’s What Schools Are Overlooking
Recent headlines reveal a stark reality:
70% of teachers have considered leaving the profession due to poor maternity support.
At first glance, it’s easy to assume this is about pay, workload or policy gaps.
But that’s only part of the story.
Because what’s really being missed… is the human experience of returning to work.
The part no policy prepares you for
From an organisational perspective, maternity return is often handled well - on paper.
There are policies.
Timelines.
KIT days.
Phased returns.
But when a woman actually walks back into the workplace, something far less visible is happening.
She’s not the same person who left.
Her identity has shifted.
Her priorities may have changed.
Her confidence - once solid - can feel unexpectedly fragile.
And yet, the expectation is often the same:
Pick up where you left off.
This isn’t just a return. It’s a transition.
What many employers overlook is that returning to work after maternity leave isn’t a simple reintegration.
It’s a psychological and emotional transition.
One that can look like:
Second-guessing decisions in meetings
Feeling out of sync with colleagues
Questioning capability in a role that once felt natural
Carrying the invisible load of balancing two identities
This isn’t a performance issue.
It’s a support issue.
The hidden cost of “getting on with it”
When this transition isn’t acknowledged or supported, something begins to happen quietly.
Women don’t always leave immediately.
They stay… but they disconnect.
They shrink back.
They stop putting themselves forward.
They begin to wonder if they still belong.
And over time, that internal shift becomes an external decision:
To step back.
To change roles.
Or to leave entirely.
What we’re seeing on the ground
This isn’t theoretical.
At Moco Coaching, we work with over 50 schools, supporting staff as they return to the workplace with clarity and confidence.
And the pattern is consistent.
Highly capable, experienced professionals come back…
and quietly question themselves.
Not because they’ve lost their skills -
but because no one has supported the transition they’re going through.
But when that support is in place, the shift is powerful.
We see individuals move from:
self-doubt → clarity
hesitation → confidence
just “getting through” → fully re-engaging in their role
What school leaders are recognising
Forward-thinking schools are starting to see this too.
As one headteacher from Burntwood shared:
“Our staff are incredibly committed, but returning to work after time away isn’t just about stepping back into the classroom - it’s about feeling supported as a whole person. That’s why we chose to work with Moco Coaching.”
This reflects a wider truth across education.
Schools are built on people.
And when those people aren’t supported through key transitions, the impact is felt everywhere - by teams, by culture and ultimately by students.
Policies don’t build loyalty. Experiences do.
There’s no doubt that improved maternity policies matter.
But policies alone don’t create retention.
People don’t stay because a document exists.
They stay because of how they are experienced when they return.
Do they feel understood?
Do they feel supported in rebuilding confidence?
Do they feel seen - not just as employees, but as individuals navigating change?
Because these moments - these transitions - are where culture is truly felt.
Retention isn’t about perks. It’s about transition.
If organisations want to reduce attrition and truly support their people, the focus needs to shift.
From:
policies → to people
processes → to experience
returning → to reintegrating
Because retention isn’t solved by offering more benefits.
It’s solved by recognising that behind every return to work is a person navigating change - and giving them the support to do it well.
A different way forward
When employees are supported through this transition, the impact is profound.
They don’t just come back.
They re-engage.
They rebuild confidence.
They step forward - bringing a deeper perspective, resilience and clarity with them.