Letters

Thank you for the December edition of Leader; I have enjoyed many of the articles. I found the feature 'Head Hunting' especially interesting. The caption above it of the legs/feet of headship candidates was particularly effective; however, the fact that all three candidates were obviously men reinforced a stereotype that I'm sure ASCL would not approve.

Joan Negrine, assistant head, The Sweyne Park School, Essex.

I am just flicking through my copy of the December Leader and turned to page 26. It shows a picture of three pairs of feet, all of them clearly male. I am not sure whether this is intended to represent a typical field of candidates or a typical appointment panel, but I am concerned about the stereotypical message it conveys.

This is a great concern when statistics show that despite a majority of teachers being female, women are still underrepresented in those coming forward for leadership positions.

Kate Webster, Head, Queen Elizabeth's Girls' School, Hertfordshire

Editor's note: Thank you to members who raised this issue. We rely on you to let us know when we have not represented matters accurately, and in this instance you certainly did.