Leadership

Leadership is the first theme, as you need to have the commitment and support of the headteacher and school leadership (not only senior leaders, but also middle and student leaders) in order to influence the curriculum and ethos of the school. It is important to ensure a whole-school approach, as this has been shown to be the most effective way to achieve change and to ensure that staff have proper training.

Is gender equality (GE) part of your school ethos?

Would you like it to be?

Initial Steps

  • Think about how your school could encourage staff to discuss how GE relates to their teaching and status as role models. Is your Head/other senior staff on board? Identify members of staff who are interested in GE / engaged in good practice. What ideas come to mind?
  • Carry out a brief survey to capture the staff gender ratio in your school, including the balance of roles at different levels and leadership / senior staff. Compare with figures nationally if possible. This will give you a starting point and from here you discuss why this is an issue and think of how to improve (if needed) this gender ratio. Share your findings and what surprises you.
  • Talk with the Head/senior staff and colleagues about how the school could provide all teaching (and non-teaching) staff with briefings and/or training opportunities to introduce GE.

Call to action

Has your school’s leadership addressed and/or promoted gender equality?

Are there any good examples which you could share that show this?

Please share your ideas/follow up/results if you’ve managed to carry out any of the above (or other) initial steps.

Submit a Case Study

Curriculum Links

Developing a Gender Equality audit for your school

Leadership

Target age groupTeachers of pupils 3-18. Could be done with pupils aged 8-18

Gender equality concepts

Gender equality – whole-school approach

This Lesson Plan is about investigating how far Gender Equality is being achieved in your school. It aims to help a school to develop a set of criteria for them to assess progress and develop an action plan for improvement.

This activity is mainly aimed at teaching staff. If you think your staff may find it difficult to share feelings and ideas about Gender Equality, you may want to talk to an outside organisation with expertise in this area who may be able to help you with or facilitate these activities. You could also try out this activity with pupils.

Gender roles in our school

Leadership

Target age group6-12 yrs / group size 8+

Gender equality concepts

gender roles, gender stereotypes

Ideas into Action

Digital platform “500 Queer Scientists”

Attitudes & Relationships, Communities, Curriculum, Leadership, Physical Environment

Target age groupPrimary/Secondary Education

Type of materialWebsite

Leadership and Gender Equality

Leadership

Target age groupSecondary 11-18

Type of materialText - narrative account

A multimedia digital platform “This is not a feminist project”

Attitudes & Relationships, Communities, Curriculum, Leadership

Target age groupPrimary/Secondary Education

Type of materialWebsite

Pupil Voice and Gender Equality

Curriculum, Explicit Teaching, Leadership, Students & Learning

Target age groupPrimary 3-11

Type of materialText - narrative

Youth in Action for Equality (Vocational School for Commerce and Trade Bjelovar)

Attitudes & Relationships, CM Development, Content, Curriculum, Extra-curricular, Gender-based violence, Hidden curriculum, Language & communication, Leadership, Peer socialisation, Physical Environment

Type of materialText, video, photo story