Life Friendly Leadership Programme (Winter Cohort)

As a sector, we are becoming increasingly aware that the health of our workforce relies on the retention of experienced teachers within the profession.

But year upon year, we are seeing that our mid-career teachers, particularly women aged 30-39 are the largest demographic to leave teaching.

Their attrition is significantly impacted by the motherhood penalty in education, which in itself is indicative of the unsustainable working practices that are damaging our sector.

When we lose these mothers, we lose our mentors, experienced classroom teachers, leaders at all levels, and the relationships and trust between our schools, students and families in our communities.

The good news is that some of the solutions to this motherhood penalty are straightforward to implement - some of them even quick and easy! And as these improved working practices are embedded and established, they build the foundations for more significant culture shifts within your schools, and the industry as a whole.

Life Friendly Leadership Programme

Our Life Friendly Leadership programme offers you five online webinars guiding you to navigate and understand the motherhood penalty, and wider research on recruitment, retention and gender equality within the teaching profession.

The course offers you practical solutions to improve staff wellbeing, build more sustainable working practices and make your school a more attractive place to work.

Live webinars are held fortnightly on Tuesday, 09:00-11:30, and focus on the following topics:

Session 1 - Why, "Life Friendly Leadership?"

Tuesday 4th November, 09:00-11:30

The research and hypothesis about how becoming more "life friendly" as a school will positively impact staff and student wellbeing and outcomes.

Session 2 - Expectancy, Parental Leave and the Return to Work

Tuesday 18th November, 09:00-11:30

Legal information and case studies to better understand the expectancy, parental leave and immediate return to work period, and our obligations as employers.

Session 3 - Inclusive Policies

Tuesday 2nd December, 09:00-11:30

Exploring different journeys to, and experiences of parenthood, and how we can create inclusive and empowering policies for all staff.

Session 4 - Progression, Professional Development and Parenting

Tuesday 16th December, 09:00-11:30

The research about how the motherhood penalty impacts women's career progression and contributes to the gender pay gap, and solutions to support the design of more inclusive professional development.

Session 5 - Supporting Returning Parents

Tuesday 13th January, 09:00-11:30

Developing a robust whole school process to support returning parents.

Who is the programme for?

Previous programme participants have included school leaders; Trust and school-based HR and SBM colleagues; Appropriate Body and TSH leads; school-based TLR holders responsible for staff wellbeing, parent-teachers, or EDI; CPD leads; union district and branch secretaries; Trust leaders responsible for staffing, professional development, school improvement or EDI.