Do I really fit the mould? Gendered perspectives on becoming and belonging in early career teaching
PAULA DAINES, DEPUTY HEAD OF SCHOOL, ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY, UK MATTHEW TRAGHEIM, MODULE LEADER (MA IN EDUCATION), COVENTRY UNIVERSITY, UK Teacher identity can be important to forge at the beginning of a career in teaching. However, this would assume that it is a solo pursuit and that entrance into the profession is merely about ‘becoming’ a teacher. […]
Mastery goals and need-supportive motivation as tools for equity in teacher education: A perspective
BURÇIN DEĞIRMEN, TEV İNANÇ TÜRKEŞ HIGH SCHOOL, GEBZE, TURKEY Abstract This article explores how mastery goals and need-supportive environments can promote equity in teacher education. Drawing on achievement goal theory (Elliot and McGregor, 2001) and self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan, 2000), it highlights the importance of not only what learning goals pre-service teachers pursue but also […]
Mentoring with an equity, diversity and inclusion lens
NATASHA RAHEEM, ASSISTANT VICE PRINCIPAL, DIXONS CENTRE FOR GROWTH, DIXONS ACADEMIES TRUST, UK Before sharing evidence-based recommendations that can help mentors to support mentees from underrepresented backgrounds, I’ll begin by referring to the National Foundation for Education Research (NFER) Racial Equality in the Teacher Workforce research report. The report shows that there is an overrepresentation of […]
Supporting trainee teacher resilience through mentoring
GEMMA MOLYNEUX, CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT ADVISER, STOCKTON SCITT, UK Introduction Last year, Schools Week reported that the drop-out rate on initial teacher training (ITT) courses had doubled since 2019 (Whittaker, 2024). Although this year’s figures indicate that the overall percentage has remained steady at seven per cent, the percentage of trainees who do not achieve QTS is […]
Working-class teacher: Why a socio-economically diverse workforce matters
CLARE O’SULLIVAN, THE PTI, UK Class still counts In the UK, education is often described as a ladder of opportunity. Yet the profession at the heart of this promise – the teaching workforce – remains disproportionately middle class. Unlike ethnicity or gender, socio-economic background is not recorded in major national datasets such as the School Workforce […]
How to retain teacher-mothers: Practical steps for the return-to-work period
MADELAINE BEST, PhD STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF READING, UK; ASSISTANT HEAD, CRANLEIGH SCHOOL, UK Introduction In the year 2022 to 2023, nearly 40,000 working-age teachers left the profession. This represented 8.8 per cent of the teaching workforce (DfE, 2024). The most significant group of leavers are women aged 30 to 39; existing research suggests that motherhood is […]
Promoting inclusive leadership: Why UK schools must do more for senior leaders with disabilities
LAURA MARKENDALE, DEPUTY HEADTEACHER INCLUSION, GREAT ACADEMIES EDUCATION TRUST, UK Inclusion in education is a well-established principle in the UK, enshrined in law and reflected in policy frameworks such as the Equality Act 2010, the SEND Code of Practice (DFE and DHSC, 2014) and the Teachers’ Standards (DfE, 2011). While considerable attention has been given to […]
Early Years educators and the equity gap: A call for visibility, progression and professional recognition
REBECCA UNDERWOOD, RESEARCH IMPACT ASSISTANT, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TEACHING, UK Despite all the speeches, strategies and pledges promising equity in education, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), including Reception, is still waiting to be treated as an equal. EYFS pedagogy is too often misunderstood, undervalued or ignored in the decisions that shape the profession’s direction. The […]
Seeing ourselves in the classroom: Teaching, leading and belonging with a visible facial difference
GAYNOR BAHAN, FCCT, NCETM ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR SYSTEM LEADERSHIP, ETIO, UK In this perspective piece, I’ve aimed to use my own experience to highlight an underrepresented dimension of diversity: visible facial difference. I share a personal reflection to illustrate the issue, consider some existing research and conclude with some suggested practical steps for building a […]
Umbrellas, funnels and fans: A narrative inquiry into the lived experience of subject middle leaders in English secondary schools
DOMINIC BURRELL, EdD, CANTERBURY CHRIST CHURCH UNIVERSITY, UK Subject middle leadership is described in academic research as a powerful engine for creating and sustaining change within English secondary schools (Ainsworth et al., 2024). Journals of education management support the importance of these roles, often aiming to quantify their potential impact. My doctoral thesis aimed to refocus […]
Equity in teacher education: Addressing diversity from ITT to leadership
SUSI WATERS, NORFOLK RESEARCH SCHOOL, NORWICH, UK Teaching is a uniquely rewarding profession, bringing with it the chance to change students’ lives and influence their futures. However, the diversity of the teaching workforce doesn’t reflect that of the student body in most schools. For example, men are twice as likely to take on leadership positions as women, even […]
‘Missing Mothers’: Understanding the barriers to motherhood and teaching – and the solutions that we need
EMILY PRINGLE, ASSISTANT HEADTEACHER, LINCOLN, UK; REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE, THE MATERNITY TEACHER PATERNITY TEACHER (MTPT) PROJECT The motherhood penalty is rife in education (Williams, 2025; The New Britain Project and The MTPT Project, 2024). A large proportion of leaving teachers are women aged between 30 and 39 (Teacher Tapp, 2025), which demonstrates a clear systemic issue. Women […]
Reinduct, reconnect, retain: Practical equity for mothers in school leadership
CATHERINE PRIGGS, EDUCATION CONSULTANT, UK Returning to school leadership following maternity leave represents a pivotal stage in a teacher’s career, with implications not only for individual leaders but also for the wider effectiveness and stability of the school workforce. Leadership roles are highly visible, strategically important and demanding; yet mothers returning from leave often face stigma, […]
Bridging vision and practice: The power of equality, diversity and inclusion in education through research, creativity and collaboration
GEMMA HATHAWAY, EDI TRUST LEAD, INSPIRE EDUCATION TRUST, UK Why equality work isn’t just about strategy Let me be honest. When I first stepped into the role of EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) Trust Lead, I wasn’t entirely sure where to begin. There’s no manual for this work – no checklist that tells you how to […]
Beyond coaching and mentoring: Is supervision in education the missing link to retaining global majority staff?
ROXANNE LASHLEY ALLEN, FOUNDER OF REFLECTED SUPERVISION AND EX-DEPUTY HEADTEACHER, UK For too long, reports have highlighted the lack of diversity within the teaching profession and the challenges faced once global majority teachers join the workforce. While recommendations have been made by many organisations and researchers, such as Miller and Lashley (2022), their widespread adoption has […]
Sponsoring and mentoring our global majority educators: Why leadership habits shape progression
HARROOP SANDHU, VICE PRESIDENT, CHARTERED COLLEGE OF TEACHING, UK; EDI CONSULTANT; LEADERSHIP COACH The research tells us time and time again that as global majority educators move through their careers, they are less likely to progress to leadership roles. Here are some stark statistics from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER): Black teachers are 60 […]
Designing equitable and contextually appropriate professional development for small school educators
AIMÉE TINKLER, PRESIDENT, CHARTERED COLLEGE OF TEACHING; DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, ODYSSEY COLLABORATIVE TRUST, UK RICHARD JACKSON, PROGRAMME LEAD, FLOURISHING LEADERS AND NPQSMALL, UK Professional development is widely understood to be a key driver for strengthening teaching practice, supporting career progression and improving student outcomes (Fletcher-Wood and Zuccollo, 2020). We now have a wealth of research identifying what […]
Equitable professional growth: Designing safe and effective coaching for global majority teachers and leaders
ANDREA BEAN, RESEARCH AND EVALUATION MANAGER, TEACHER DEVELOPMENT TRUST, UK NAZYA GHALIB, CO-DIRECTOR AND SENIOR CONSULTANT, OUR EDGE EDUCATION, UK KRUPA PATEL, CO-DIRECTOR, OUR EDGE EDUCATION AND INNOVATE EDUCATION, UK HANNAH TYREMAN, PROFESSIONAL LEARNING LEAD, TEACHER DEVELOPMENT TRUST, UK Professional development is an investment and a catalyst for transformation. When done well, it reshapes beliefs, deepens knowledge, strengthens practice […]
Empowering educators: Coaching for equity in teacher education – a REGROW case study in professional progression
HANNAH GOLAMGOUSE-TORAUB, INDUCTION TUTOR, NORTH LONDON SECONDARY SCHOOL AND SENIOR LECTURER IN TEACHER EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF EAST LONDON, UK ANIQA KHALIQ, SENIOR LECTURER IN TEACHER EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF EAST LONDON, UK Introduction Professional development target-setting, embedded in annual reviews and appraisals, alongside coaching and mentoring, can encourage conversations and actions that support personal growth and career progression […]
Equitable mentoring matters: Supporting global majority executive leaders
GILLIAN KEIGHTLEY, QIAN LIU, CALUM DAVEY AND KAMAL BODHANKER, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TEACHING, UK Introduction This article focuses on the difference that mentoring makes in the career journeys of global majority multi-academy trust (MAT) leaders. However, it is important to note that mentoring can be an effective tool for supporting all professionals. Mentors are experienced and […]