Any fellow primary teaches happy to share their experience of how school has dealt with your absence please?
I’ve had two surgeries since my diagnosis both with 2 weeks off after before returning to work. I’ve just found out I need a third surgery next week so am currently signed off meaning I won’t be there with my class to start the academic year.
My head wants to share some info with parents to explain my absence - anyone else done this?
I thought I was ok with it but now having read what he has written I’m not sure how to feel - they’re waiting for my ok before sending tomorrow.
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Hi, I am a primary teacher and in SLT. I was diagnosed last year a few weeks before Christmas. I talked with my head about what to tell parents. My head wrote a letter explaining I was having surgery and would be off for the remainder of the term. We didn’t go into any specific details. The thought was that if I needed more time off after the Christmas break then we would write another letter. I actually returned to work at that point but my head teacher and governors have been very supportive and have said that if I need more time off at any point then it is fine. I was very open with my head about the treatment I was having and how it could potentially affect me. I personally found this very helpful but appreciate work places can be very different.
It is difficult because it is such a public facing job.
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Hello, I’m a primary school teacher also and was diagnosed in March this year. Sorry you’re going through this too! When it was believed I was going to need chemo after surgery, I made the decision to tell my class’ parents. I wrote a short paragraph which explained my diagnosis and a “thank you” message for their support up to that time as it was thought I wouldn’t return until September earliest. Thankfully, I did manage to return as I didn’t end up needing chemo. My parents could not have been more supportive and overall, I found it a relief for them to know just in case there were days I looked tired or anything else etc! It should definitely be your decision though!! Another member of staff was off for 4 months, not with cancer but another medical reason and nothing was said to parents as that wasn’t what they wanted. Hope the next surgery is your last and goes well for you! X
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Thank you both for your swift replies.
I’ve been very open with my head from the first surgery and made the decision to tell the rest of the staff just before my second surgery as people were constantly asking if I was ok and I wanted to just get it out the way so to speak. Everyone has been great and I’m completely on board with telling the parents something to explain my absence now and a heads up that there may be more ahead. Just not sure how I feel about detail that it’s cancer and surgery etc.
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I’m a TA and was diagnosed in March. I worked up to my surgery (mastectomy and reconstruction) in May, and have basically been off since then. I was totally open with my Head, and she wrote a letter to the parents of the children in my class (just after my surgery), which she checked with me before sending. She just put that I had undergone major surgery but that I was out of hospital and recovering well, and that I would be off for a while. I’ve popped in a few times since surgery to see the kids etc, and have told a couple of the parents that I know quite well, as they were genuinely concerned. But that was absolutely my own choice. If you’re not happy/comfortable with what has been written, definitely offer some other suggestions. It’s not imperative that the letter is sent out tomorrow. Try to make sure you’re happy with the wording/content first. Hope you’re doing ok x
Firstly let me say I’m sorry you are in this situation.
was a primary HLTA and covered several classes. I have been off since my diagnosis last May as my head insisted I needed to come to terms with my diagnosis, even though I offered to work until my surgery. I then had chemo and continue with Herceptin until next week. I was honest with my head and the staff from the start but never told the parents or children, I didn’t feel it was their business.
I took redundancy as it was offered due to funding etc, I had worked for nearly 20 years but felt after everything I’d been through I didn’t want to go back. I went back for a leavers assembly, which was lovely, but I could barely remember any names. I’d made the right decision for me. I didn’t loose my hair with chemo as I cold capped but I did cut it into a short pixie. The children noticed the new hair cut when I popped in a few times. I left with parents and children still not knowing what I had been through.
Being diagnosed with cancer means you are now protected by the Equality Act 2010. Your work should do reasonable adjustments. If you are not happy to share your diagnosis, then you are entitled to say so. Your head/SLT can not share your personal details without your permission.
Do you have a union? They will help with this. You can’t be bullied into what they have written. I had a previous head who put everyone’s names and photos on the school website without their permission, which they are not allowed to do. One member of staff had a husband who worked in the police and doesn’t have an internet presence to protect their families identity, her photo and name were promptly removed.
There is a charity called www.workingwithcancer.co.uk who provide help for employees and employers. You can also phone BCN nurses for help 0808 800 6000 or contact MacMillan who can also support you,
Thinking of you 
I’m not a teacher, but I work in the public sector and I have been quite uncomfortable about the way my work has handled my illness and forthcoming time off - and what has felt at times like an obsession with telling everyone. I found this on the MacMillan website about confidentiality, which I found helpful in discussions with HR.
Confidentiality
Everyone who lives in the UK has the right to have their personal information kept private. This includes medical information. This right is protected under the Human Rights Act 1998, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016.
The Access to Medical Reports Act 1988 also says that your employer must ask you for your permission to get a medical report on your health from your doctor or other health professional. You have the right to:
- ask for and see the report before it is given to your employer
- refuse permission for them to get the report.
You may want to talk to your employer about whether you want colleagues and clients to be told about your condition. Your employer should not give out this information without your permission (consent).
Your employer should take care to protect your personal records, including emails and any meeting notes containing details about your condition. This type of personal data should only be used with your permission.
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I’m not a teacher but work in health service and your diagnosis is confidential and your school should not be asking you to share information unless you are comfortable with this . Hope you manage to sort this out
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I’m a Governor at my daughter’s secondary school and teachers medical information is confidential even amongst Governors . We’ve had teachers off for various medical reasons and that information is never shared with anyone apart from the SLT .
Your diagnosis is no one else’s business and you are entitled to confidentiality.
If you don’t want this shared then please say so and they should be honouring it .
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Hi there @angharad. Primary school teacher here too. I was diagnosed last december and like you only took off the time for each surgery. I’ve had 3 surgeries and need a masectomy after my chemo, so I’m really glad I worked between and after the 3 surgeries as I’ve retained almost all of my sick pay entitlement to get me through chemo.
My head only told the parents of my class at the time that I was absent undergoing treatment for cancer. However, as I’m not starting the year with my next class, I guess these new parents will also have the same info shared. To be honest, I was more than happy to share this info with parents as I didn’t want them to speculate. They don’t know its breast cancer, but parents who asked, I just told. Parents were very lovely and I had lots of cards and gifts. I don’t expect to return until summer term as after chemo I have surgery and radiotherapy too.
Do you need chemo? If you don’t, the head could limit what is told to parents.
Let me know how you get on. X
I’m a infant school teacher … Had time off for surgery… but mine sounds more straight forward than yours … But did have to keep having half days when I had radiotherapy… Plus all the appointments before and after. There was no pressure to discuss with parents and shouldn’t be. This is a personal matter and it should only be discussed with parents if you are happy with that.
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Hi
I’m a primary teacher. I was diagnosed in early June and have been off work since. Needed lots of time to process all the info and many appointments! Had my mastectomy and lymph node clearance a month ago and am gutted to have missed the start of the year with my new class. Still waiting to find out if I’m having chemo as well as radiotherapy.
I have chosen to keep my health info to close colleagues and SLT at school and parents haven’t been given an explanation. Once I have an idea when I may be fit to return perhaps I will share more then. I think you need to do what is right for you and focus on your recovery.
Best of luck x
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Hi, I was a primary school teacher when I was diagnosed at the age of 62. Despite a small cancer which hadn’t spread, I needed lumpectomy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, herceptin and hormone therapy. This would have all taken about 7 months so the school had to find a replacement for me. I wanted to tell everyone and its surprising how many other women had said they’d gone through it too! When I went back for only one day a week I found it all so busy and stressful that I decided to retire as I was only a couple of years away from it anyway.
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Sorry to hear that youre having to have a third surgery.
Im a primary teacher & i am absolutely shocked your Head Teacjer wants to tell parents about your illness. It is absolutely nothing to do with him or the parents.
Would he be writing to parents if you were absent for two weeks following haemorrhoid surgery or depression?
Most of my parents were unaware of my diagnosis even when i attended work wearing a wig during chemo. I sent a letter out when treatment had finished to thank everyone for their kind wishes but then discovered a lot of parents hadnt realised i was ill until the letter of thanks went out.
Its noones business but yours. Only let him put out a letter if youre 100% comfortable with it.
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Hello 
I am a primary school teacher as well- I had to have chemo, surgery, radiotherapy so was off from April to the following January. I made the decision to write a short letter to the parents myself. I found writing this myself easier as it made me feel I had some level of control.
I didn’t specify what type of cancer I had just said it was cancer and the prognosis was good but I would need an extended period of treatment and thus at least 6 months off. I also asked for the details not to be discussed in front of the children. I told the children myself on my last day I wasn’t well and would be a new teacher for a while until I was better.
Parents were lovely- sent me lovely emails and a little gift package as well. Management were okay not the most understanding but parents were great (small school composite class so I had a lot of the same parents on my return).
However you don’t have to tell parents anything if you don’t want to and management can’t make you. I just told them as I knew it would get out anyway so would rather they got the basic facts from me rather than inventing their own and potentially the kids would overhear misinformation.
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Hi @angharad,
So sorry you are part of this club none of us wanted to join but really pleased you found this forum, it helps to be able to hear from others who are in a similar position.
I am a primary school teacher, currently a non class based SENCo. I was diagnosed in April 2023 during the Easter holiday, went back after the holiday until my first surgery, had two weeks off then returned until chemo. I ended up having another three surgeries and didn’t return to work until the end of July 2024.
My school didn’t tell parents anything until I went off for chemo. I was happy for parents to be told why I was going to be off but details were kept to a minimum.
I have found my school very supportive but after two days back this week, I am exhausted and will be speaking to my head about extending the phased return I started in July and maybe so working from home time.
I would just advise you to take control of what is told to parents, redraft the letter if that is what works for you and don’t rush back, you will just need time to recover before you get caught up in the stress of school again.
Good luck with you next surgery.
Niki x
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