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Teachers: Gender

Volume 491: debated on Tuesday 21 April 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many and what proportion of (a) secondary and (b) primary school headteachers were (i) male and (ii) female in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement; (267743)

(2) how many and what proportion of (a) secondary and (b) primary school teachers were (i) male and (ii) female in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

The available information on full-time regular qualified teachers in local authority maintained schools by phase, grade and sex is published in Table D2 of the Statistical First Release “School Workforce in England (including Local Authority level figures), January 2008 (Revised)” which can be found at:

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000813/index.shtml

The annual survey of teachers in service and teacher vacancies, 618G, is the Department’s preferred source of teacher numbers in service, but this is not broken down by gender. Table D2 uses information from the Database of Teacher Records which is not as complete as 618G. Hence, the proportions quoted within it are reliable but the underlying numbers are not included.

Underlying teacher numbers, broken down by gender, are available from the School Census and cover all teachers employed in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools. These figures cannot be broken down by grade however and therefore relate to all teachers including heads.

Full-time equivalent number and proportions of male and female teachers1 in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools—years: January 1997 to 2008

Coverage: England

Nursery/Primary

Secondary2

Male

Percentage

Female

Percentage

Male

Percentage

Female

Percentage

1997

29,730

16

155,790

84

86,010

47

98,320

53

1998

29,000

16

155,470

84

84,780

46

99,690

54

1999

28,840

16

156,960

84

84,910

46

101,400

54

2000

28,740

15

158,260

85

85,060

45

103,320

55

2001

28,670

15

161,020

85

86,280

45

107,060

55

2002

29,230

15

163,870

85

88,910

44

111,540

56

2003

28,570

15

162,520

85

89,250

44

114,680

56

2004

28,030

15

160,710

85

88,980

43

116,840

57

2005

27,510

15

160,600

85

89,260

43

119,780

57

2006

27,730

15

162,750

85

88,930

42

121,680

58

2007

27,490

14

162,810

86

87,650

42

122,570

58

2008

27,690

14

163,450

86

86,330

41

124,540

59

1 Includes qualified and unqualified teachers.

2 Excludes Academies.

Note:

Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

Source:

School Census