Mumsnet Talk

I'm a governor at our small (3 mixed year classes) primary school. Four years ago, the three teachers were all older ladies. When the first one retired, she was replaced by a young newly qualified male teacher who really changed the dynamics of the school. The children love him and now four years on, we couldn't imagine not having him in the school!
Last year another teacher announced she was planning to retire so we advertised again for an NQT and had loads of applications. At interview, the best candidate by far was another young man so we then had 2 male teachers.
The lady teacher in the EYFS (R & yr1) has decided to retire at Xmas so we are (once again) recruiting. Short listing yesterday showed only one outstanding candidate who is again male! The HT has met him and says he seems wonderful but this would mean we would have an all male teaching staff. HT is concerned that parents may be put off by this & TBH, I can see what she means but should this be an issue?

Why would it be an issue when many schools have an all female staff? If he is the right candidate then so be it!

Some schools have an all female teaching staff so I suppose this isn't really any different. It does seem odd but only, I think, because in most schools most of the teachers are women. I see no reason, as a female primary teacher, that this shouldn't be a social norm that is challenged.

It's an odd one!

Ps. I think a lot of boys' parents would find
an all male teaching staff appealing.

i dont see the problem either.

we have 1 1/2 classes in each year, so not all of them get in a particular class. we have one male teacher ( who is fab... we love you Mr Bryant)

if children dont get put in his class the parents all complain!

I want my DD taught by the best and i dont care if they are male/female, gay/straight, whichever or no religeon and their colour doesnt even come into it, neither does disability. If they are the best then I want my dd in thier class.

Well, you absolutely can't discriminate on sex, so if they are by far the best candidate.....
Is the head female? (sorry if I've missed this). I'm wondering if the head might be worried of feeling out numbered in the staff room.

How many TAs and are they female? I do think it's nice to have a balance of male, female staff, regardless of their roles.

I don't think it would put anyone off. I was never put off by an all female teaching staff. The school wold be on very shaky ground if they rejected him on the basis of his sex.

Actually I think it would be a selling point for the school.

But agree that it is moot since you can't consider sex when hiring.

You must recruit the best candidate regardless of gender, ethnicity and so on surely?

I might be a bit apprehensive if all the teachers were male, I definitely marked down schools with all female staff when I did the rounds.

I expect that there will be more balance with 3 male teachers though if the lsa and ta and office and admin staff are female. It probably doesn't even things out yet!

Sounds fine to me-you need the best person for the job.

DS (now yr3) had a male teacher in yr1 and yr2 (not the same teacher) and it was great...

Tbh I agree, it should be about who is best for the job...

Thanks everyone, I think the HT might be having a bit of a culture shock with the idea of having all these young men around
We do have a TA in each class and they are all female so there would still be a balance. It's nice to hear that this could be viewed as a positive, I really want us to get the best candidate too! He sounds fab on paper so will have to see how he comes across at interview!

totally wouldn't bother me - on the contrary in fact. We are a same-sex couple, and although the girls' dad is involved in their lives, it would be fabulous for them to have a man in their lives in a day-to-day way, and to see a man looking after and nurturing children.

I think it's brilliant that the number of male primary teachers is on the up I have no statistical proof for this by the way, but in the local primaries they all have several

I would have no problem sending the DCs to the shool on that basis

I find the younger male teachers work harder to overcome this sort of prejudice in Primary and thus tend to be better teachers. Given the choice you would be mad not to choose the BEST teacher for your school.

And dare I say it if he didn't get the job and saw this thread he could sue the school big time!!!

Apparently boys respond better to male role models - I wish my ds's school had an equal mix of male and female teachers.

you need to take on the best candidate.

My dd has a male teacher, she,s in reception.She adores him! And blushes when she talks about him.

I def think male staff is a selling point.

We are a 2 form entry primary school, so haven't quite reached the point of having a totally male teaching staff! However one year, both reception teachers were male. I don't think we'd thought about it particularly, but I know that some prospective parents thought it was a bit odd. Whether it stopped anyone applying, I don't know.

I'm all for male teachers and completely agree that I'd see it as a selling point. I have a boy and a girl and it was great for both of them to have a male teacher (even though I'd thought it was a particular positive for my DS, it was massively popular with my DD too). It all depends on whether they're good teachers or not - sounds like they are so I'd definitely see it as a big plus for the school.

We just lost both our permanent male teacher and a temporary male cover teacher in a different post in one term. Most parents are extremely disappointed as the staff is now all female. I'd love to have another male teacher, and preferably two or three more, in school!

My dd loved her male teachers at primary school. In fact we chose her second primary school because her class would have a male teacher!

I think yours is a lucky school.
Doubt MN opinion reflects popular opinion, though.

We have 3 male teachers at DC school, and lots of women teachers.

DD is very sporty & the male teachers seem to have done a lot more than the women teachers might have to facilitate her sporty talent.

Is the head female?

I think there would be a lot of practical problems if you had all male staff. So I am assuming you have TAs, Are they female? Is the head female?

I am thinking of things like kids wetting themselves and needing help, which should not, in good practice, be a male teahcer with female child. Or older child starting periods and having issues.
But as long as there are female staff around and involved, then it should be best candidate.

I think as well, the head would need to be aware of the imbalance and make sure it wasn't affecting practice. (I think all female schools do risk becoming imbalanced too)

You have no guarantee that they will stay anyway, you may be recruiting again in a year, male teachers do tend to be a bit more likely to move every few years to accumulate a good variety of experience on their cv

I nearly didn't send our dcs to the school they go to as it was all female, and I have a ds.