Gender and headship in the twenty-first century

2. Women appear to be appointed younger than men in the secondary sector. This
is a real encouragement to young women, who should have confidence in applying
for headship.

3. Men are more likely than women to plan their career from an early stage, and
women who aspire to headship should consider earlier planning.

4. There are regional differences in the proportions of women secondary
headteachers that should be considered when applying for senior posts.

Recommendations for further investigation and research

1. As the stage of emergent leadership seems to be so important for women, more
information is needed about the sort of support women receive prior to application for
headship with a view to extending good practice, particularly in view of the fact that
more younger women than men are appointed as secondary heads.

2. As women secondary heads tend to be appointed younger than their male
colleagues and stay in their first headship longer the question arises of whether they
feel that they need particular types of support and development.

3. There has been an increase to over 70 per cent of women in secondary schools
reporting that they have to prove their worth as a woman and a leader. In particular
they seem to feel vulnerable in relation to national initiatives such as inspection. At a
time when sexism is decreasing and more women are becoming heads why is there
this increase?

4. Some men primary heads feel that they may experience some discrimination in
respect of stereotypes about males not being fitted for the leadership of women and
organisations containing young children. Little is known about this area.

5. The heads self-reports on their leadership indicate that they perceive their
dominant leadership style as open and collaborative and that a secondary style is
directive. More research is needed through case studies in schools to identify other
stakeholders views and to identify more about the impact of gender on leadership in
action in both the secondary and primary sectors.

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