The Challenge of Recruiting More Female Headteachers for Catholic Schools

This chapter explores the continuing gender imbalance amongst headteachersHeadteachers in Catholic schools in EnglandEngland. The Catholic sector mirrors the national picture, when it comes to headship, with far more men leading Catholic secondary schools than women. It is argued that there are certain aspects of the Headteacher’s role in a Catholic school which present a specific challenge to aspiring female Catholic school leadersCatholic school leaders. The chapter begins with a summary of the current situation in England before discussing examples of current Catholic Church teachings concerning the equality of women and men and the potential link between this and female leadershipLeadership. The findings are presented of a small-scale research project into the attitudes of female headteachers of Catholic schools. This chapter seeks to make the case for calling for substantive research into all aspects of recruiting far more women into headship in Catholic schools.