Gender and headship in the twenty-first century

Table 7: Have you doubted your ability to be a headteacher?

When the comments were analysed the women were very much more likely to link
their doubts to issues of confidence. Obviously there were men who commented on
their self-doubt and lack of confidence, but there were many more comments from
women, including the next group of examples:

It all looked a bit daunting, during acting head role (primary head, early 40s)

Jobs were given to people who were known or 'made themselves known',
(primary head later 40s)

Doubts throughout! I am small and self-effacing - my promotion remains a
surprise! (secondary head later 40s)

[Doubts] when my mother died - she was so supportive and willing to help
and give moral support. (secondary head early 50s)

The comments of the men about doubting that they would achieve headship were
more related to the actual experience of being rejected or to factors that they
considered were outside their control. The next four comments are all from men.

I went to a number of unsuccessful interviews - minor reasons why I did not
get the job. (primary head, early 40s)

From 1987 - 95 blacklisted (secretly) by LEA officials for union activities.
(primary head 50s)

Deputy head of middle school but wished to be in primary and experience not
considered relevant. (primary head late 50s)

When a head of department in a secondary school, because people with
ideas were not trusted to be heads. (head of special school, late 50s)

Another reason for doubts about headship that related more to women than to men
was the consideration that they gave to their children and husband as well as how
they perceived that others viewed these commitments. This was particularly true of
women primary headteachers, who were more likely to be married and to have
children than the women secondary headteachers. One young woman primary
headteacher in her 30s gave a graphic account of the sort of dilemma only a woman
could face:

I was interviewed for headship one week after having my second child. I was
breast-feeding in the car outside as no provision could be make in the school.
Seriously I thought I must be mad!

Women headteachers are more likely to be divorced or separated than their male
colleagues. It is possible that the sort of stresses that come from combining a
difficult job with being a wife and mother contribute to this. One woman primary head

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