Older literature on teaching as a professsion has been criticized for its inadvertent sexism as writers appeared to believe that the presence of large numbers of women in an occupation was automatically incompatible with professionalism. Whilst women make up approximately 60% of teachers in primary and secondary schools, they are noticeably underrepresented in high-status posts. Most of the material presented here draws upon original empirical research and reflections on personal experience, and is influenced not only by biography and personal characteristics but also by cultures within educational institutions, labour market conditions and other social divisions in society.