Gender pay gap in schools growing wider

Unions say women in leadership roles have taken ‘double hit’, reports Liam James

Report finds gap has widened by almost £1,000 in primary schools (PA)

The gender pay gap in school has grown wider over the last decade, unions have warned.

Men still typically earn more than women and the gap widens in more senior positions, according to an upcoming report from bodies representing school leaders.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of head teachers’ union NAHT, said pay had eroded across the board for school leaders in the past ten years but women seemed to have taken a “double hit”.

NAHT, WomenEd, ASCL and the National Governance Association will release their report into the gender pay gap at the end of November.

The report’s authors cite the example of primary schools, where the gap between men and women’s average pay was found to have increased over the last decade by almost £1,000, reaching £2,834 in the latest financial year.

Vivienne Porritt, co-founder and global strategic leader of WomenEd, said pay inequality was “more significant” than women may realise.

She said: “We want women to know that they have a right to talk about pay and to challenge any pay inequality so that, collectively, and in collaboration with other sector organisations, we can make a difference for all women leaders and educators.”

Rachael Warwick, ASCL past president, cited statistics showing that more men than women are in leadership roles in schools and colleges.

She said there was a “moral imperative” to bring more women into leadership positions.

Ms Warwick added: “Diverse groups make better decisions, bringing a myriad of perspectives to the table and avoiding ‘the warm glow of homophily’ which Matthew Syed articulates so convincingly in his book, Rebel Ideas.

”As a leadership organisation, ASCL has a responsibility, and the influence amongst our 21,000 members, to make a positive difference. We need female leaders to represent the profession. We will support our membership to take these much-needed steps.”

Emma Knights, chief executive of the National Governance Association, highlighted the roles that governing boards could play in closing the gender pay gap in schools.

She said boards determined a school's pay policy and specifically set the pay of the most senior leader.

“Employers need to ensure themselves that all staff are treated fairly, equitably, and lawfully,” she said.

“We need to encourage and reward all the talent within schools and trusts. It is through developing our staff that we will provide the best possible education for pupils.”

Schools appear to buck the trend of a narrowing gender pay gap across the economy. The Office for National Statistics said there was a general downward trend, although the gap widened during the pandemic.

Research suggests other financial disadvantages for women persist. A recent report from Scottish Widows found women will save an average of £185,000 less than men by the time they retire.