The Department for Education has announced plans to increase full maternity pay for teachers from 4 weeks (i.e. Burgundy Book Standard) to 8 weeks, as part of its recent schools white paper.
The change is expected to take effect from the 2027/28 academic year and is intended to support staff retention, particularly among experienced teachers.
The government has also indicated that similar improvements will be introduced for support staff, although the detail is not yet confirmed. This will be considered by the School Support Staff Negotiating Body once it is established.
At this stage, these are proposals rather than confirmed contractual changes, and further detail — particularly around support staff entitlements and how the enhanced pay will be structured — is expected in due course.