Male teachers make up just a quarter of the South Gloucestershire school workforce, figures suggest.

Department for Education figures show that there were 2,517 teachers in state-funded schools in South Gloucestershire as of November 2021 – with men accounting for only 631 of them.

This means male teachers make up just 25.1% of the workforce in the area in the 2021-22 academic year.

However, this is up from 24.7% in 2020-21.

The Association of School and College Leaders has called on the Government to reverse the fall in teacher salaries nationally to attract more men and women into the profession.

Across England, just 14% of nursery and primary school teachers, 35% of secondary teachers, and 25% of special school and PRU teachers are men.

Overall, 24.2% of state-funded school teachers are male – the joint-lowest proportion since records began in 2010-11.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the ASCL, said: “The Government must reverse the erosion of teacher pay which it has implemented over the past decade, dial down the excessive accountability regime it applies to schools, and ensure that schools are properly funded.

"This will help to attract both men and women into the profession."

The DfE figures show that despite teaching being a female-dominated industry, men tend to earn more than women.

The median salary for a male teacher in an English state school is £41,604 – 3% more than the £40,490 made by women.

In South Gloucestershire schools, men earn £41,604 – 4% more than women, who make £40,124 on average.

Men in the area get paid £40,862 on average when they work in the classroom, and £67,364 as head teachers.

Meanwhile, female classroom teachers get an average of £38,886, and heads £63,508.

Mr Barton said it was unfortunately the case that a much higher proportion of men go into leadership positions than women.

The Department for Education said employers are encouraged to publish a plan setting out the clear actions that they will put in place to reduce their gender pay gap.