The female secondary headteacher in England and Wales: leadership and management styles

This paper reports on data relating to management and leadership derived fr om a survey of all the female headteachers in England and Wales. The quanti tative data presented here are complementary to previous research on gender in education which has tended to be qualitative. The use of the Gray parad igms in the research instrument has allowed an empirical redefinition of th e 'feminine' style of management, but the research confirms that the majori ty of the female heads use a collaborative and 'people-oriented' style of m anagement. In addition, the key values promoted by the headteachers are rel ated to achievement and respect for all. The headteachers generally make th emselves available to staff and spend a considerable proportion of their ti me in school outside their office. They tend to encourage staff development , often through individual consultation, but only a minority make special p rovision for the development of female teachers. Male resentment of female leadership was found to be relatively prevalent and the majority of the wom en felt they had to 'prove their worth' as a woman manager. Despite the dif ficulties encountered, once the women had achieved headship, they were awar e that there were advantages in being a woman headteacher. They reported th e ability to defuse 'macho' behaviour, the benefits of being unusual and th erefore singled out and the fact that girls, mothers and female teachers fo und them approachable. The relative disproportion of female secondary headt eachers raises issues of equity. However, in view of the effective manageme nt style of the majority, the question is also raised of the potential loss of leadership to our schools.