Six weeks ago, something remarkable happened in the US. On 22 October, the Biden-Harris administration published the National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality.

This groundbreaking strategy does something extraordinary: it openly recognises the inequality that exists between genders and ethnicities, and acknowledges that it is unacceptable.

Meanwhile, in the UK, the gender pay gap has increased in the past year. According to the Office for National Statistics, it rose from 14.9 per cent in 2020 to 15.4 per cent in 2021. While this is still down from 17.4 per cent in 2019, and is part of a positive trend overall, the picture looks very different in different sectors - and education has a particular problem here.

A new report, published at the end of last month, shows that, regardless of school phase or structure, men in education typically still earn more than women - and the gap has been widening.

Teacher pay: The gender pay gap in schools

The report - produced jointly by the NAHT school leaders’ union, WomenEd, the Association of School and College Leaders and the National Governance Association - shows that, in primary schools, the gap between men’s and women’s average pay has increased over the past decade by almost £1,000. The report also shows that the gap is wider for more senior positions.

When it comes down to brass tacks, women’s voices still carry less weight around the decision-making table, and this is an issue for us all. However, there are a number of very simple and well-researched strategies that can be used in schools to adopt a fairer, more inclusive approach.

First, we need to talk about it. Discrimination hides in the shadows; it is harder to avoid issues if they are widely discussed. You can help to start a conversation by calculating your school’s or trust’s gender pay gap, following the government gender pay gap service guidance on how to do this.

Look hard at the gender distributions that exist at senior and middle leadership levels in particular. Ask yourself: where does the gender gap start?

We also need to design recruitment and retention processes to ensure that everyone has a fair chance.

Have a policy that clearly explains how new roles will be advertised and the salary range calculated. Write job descriptions in advance and be proactive in responding to requests for flexible working. Perhaps consider putting in blind recruitment processes, where the name, date of birth and other recognising details are separated from applications.

Finally, leaders need to explicitly seek out and value all voices, bringing everyone to the table and ensuring that the quietest are listened to, as well as the loudest. Be active in ensuring a fair gender and diversity distribution in every situation. It’s still common to see all-male line-ups in interview panels, at conferences and in leadership teams across the country. Research shows that this leads to less effective decision making; you cannot make decisions from a wider perspective if you do not understand what that is.

All the above strategies are easily adopted but require us to challenge our biases and work together to make education a fairer place. If not now, then when? Believe me, we women are worth it.

Megan Dixon is director of research at Holy Catholic Family Multi-Academy Trust

This article originally appeared in the 3 December 2021 issue under the headline “We must talk about schools’ dismal gender pay gap”