My doctoral research looked into women’s perceptions and lived experiences of secondary headship. In the process, a recurring theme soon emerged: the deeply embedded belief that motherhood and school leadership are somehow incompatible. My research explored how gender-related factors such as pregnancy, maternity and motherhood intersect with women’s leadership trajectories. Using a qualitative methodology, I collected rich, narrative accounts from headteachers across state and independent secondary schools in England. What I found, through semi-structured interviews and detailed questionnaires, was that the tension between motherhood and leadership is more than anecdotal.