 | | More women are choosing to become headteachers and they encourage others to follow suit, according to a recent survey.
The survey, conducted by ICM research on behalf of the National College of School Leadership, released this week showed that there has been a seven per cent increase in the number of women becoming headteachers. It also illustrated that 81% of female heads believe that women should step up to the role.
Maggie Roger, NCSL National Succession Consultant says: “As the baby-boomer generation of heads nears retirement, it’s crucial that all talented school leaders have the confidence in their capabilities to put themselves forward for the role.”
Flexible working practices and more awareness around childcare responsibilities have helped to smooth the path to headship, with over half surveyed indicating that gender was not an issue.
Jacqui Barber, headteacher, Rettenden Primary School, Essex and mother of three made her own arrangements with family support and childcare when she became head seven years ago because flexible working practices were not available. Mrs Barber feels that aspiring heads should not hesitate to take up support. She says: “Job shares are far more common now and I would encourage other women looking to step up to the role to take advantage of these initiatives to ease the pressure of juggling career and home life.”
Acting as a co-head is another way to share a job and improve work life balance, says Jill Martin, co-head of Anglo-European School, Essex. She says: “The role of co-head is a full-time job, but it allows us to share responsibility and work cooperatively together. It ensures that the school benefits from a strong leadership team while allowing flexibility when it comes to school closure periods where we alternate the days we come in or are on call – this helps to develop work-life balance. We also feel as if we can make better and bolder decisions as a team, which benefits the young people in our school.”
However, self doubt particularly around budget and financial skills and management ability still holds back many from headship. Ms Roger, NCSL consultant says: “Self-belief can be an issue for candidates, including women, and our advice is that if you believe in yourself, you are more likely to succeed. If you want to become a head, you need to self assess, consider what areas you need to develop and look for opportunities to lead in your own school.”
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