The gender pay gap in schools has widened over the past decade, school leaders and education experts are warning.
A new report, to be published later this month, will show that regardless of school phase or structure, men are typically still earning more than women - and the more senior the position, the wider the gap becomes.
The report is being produced jointly by the unions NAHT, WomenEd, Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and National Governance Association (NGA).
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They shared initial findings from the report today to mark Equal Pay Day.
Ahead of the release, they revealed that in primary schools, the gap between men and women’s average pay has increased by almost £1,000 over the past decade, from £1,878 in 2010-11 to £2,834 in 2020-21.
Vivienne Porritt, co-founder and global strategic leader at WomenEd, said: “Our forthcoming report shows that such inequality is more significant than women realise.
“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.”
General secretary of the NAHT, Paul Whiteman, warned that female school leaders had faced a “double hit”, pointing to the general erosion of school leadership pay over the last decade.
Mr Whiteman added: “Our forthcoming report is intended to continue this much-needed conversation, helping to empower our members and female leaders everywhere, and use our platform to press for the changes in the system that are sorely needed.”
Former ASCL president Rachael Warwick explained that the union has placed its work on equality, diversity and inclusion “front and centre over the last three years”.
“Not only is this a moral imperative but we know that more diverse groups make better decisions, bringing a myriad of perspectives to the table.”
Emma Knights OBE, NGA chief executive, said that governing boards “determine the organisation’s pay policy and have a very specific role in setting the pay of the most senior leader”.
She added: “Governing boards are in prime position to effect change by ensuring a healthy organisational culture which is open to giving equalities, diversity, and inclusion active and ongoing consideration.”
The report, Closing the gender pay gap in education: a leadership imperative, will be released at the end of November.
