190 pages
226mm x 145mm
ISBN-10: 1 85856 258 9
ISBN-13: 978 1 85856 258 2
September 2002

'I recommend this book for staff rooms, for those running management courses and to women aspiring to Headship. It is a clear and helpful analysis.' - Educational Review

Leadership is generally identified with men. Only a quarter of the secondary school heads in England and Wales are women. Despite changes in society, there are still issues for women who aspire to leadership.

Will I be up against institutionalised views that make career progress difficult?
Will I have to be seen to lead like a man in order to be seen as a good headteacher?
Will I have credibility as a leader if I combine motherhood and a career?
How will men react to being managed by a woman?
How can I make it to the top?

There are also issues related to encouraging women to go to the top: What career support and advice are we offering? Do we provide career mentoring? Are we offering appropriate role models? How do we view maternity leave? Are we family friendly? The author's survey and in-depth interviews present the views of the women who have become leaders in schools. Complementary data from the same number of male headteachers allows comparisons to be made on careers and the perceptions of work and family. The book also reveals how women headteachers have made it to the top and considers what makes them special.

This book is essential reading for all aspiring headteachers and current school managers and will be of interest to academics and students in education, management, and gender studies.

Dr Marianne Coleman is Senior Lecturer in Education Management and Leadership at the Institute of Education London.