Gender, race, faith and economics: factors impacting on aspirant school leaders

This paper explores factors inhibiting or encouraging women and men from Black and Minority ethnic (BME) and also white backgrounds to pursue leadership positions in English schools. Data are drawn from a commissioned evaluation of three National College of Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) funded courses which investigated the extent to which the 33 participants felt their course successfully prepared them to take on a leadership role. Findings showed that while the all white primary aspirant head teachers and most of the all white women into secondary headship gained confidence and felt more competent as their courses progressed their desire to become leaders, in some cases, reduced. The opposite was the case for the all BME middle leaders participants most of whom cited, along with increased confidence and perceived competence, an increased desire to become middle leaders, despite some accounts of prejudicial treatment. Factors cited by participants as impacting negatively on their desire to become leaders included work-life balance, accountability, faith, economic factors (size of school, travel costs) and issues concerning gender, particularly women participants, who saw themselves as leaders both at work and in the home. Findings provide an insight into the continuing structural inequalities experienced by a small sample of aspirant school leaders which have implications for future leadership preparation provision.