About

About The Female Housemaster

In 2022, something new happened. I was appointed to head up a boys’ boarding house at Oundle School, a co-ed full boarding school in the Midlands.

You see, I’m a woman: I was the first female Housemaster to be appointed in the School’s 466-year history.

Much of the literature on caring for boys in a boarding setting is written by men; almost everyone acting in loco parentis in boarding houses is male. In 2023, only around 2% of boys’ boarding houses across the 30 Rugby and Eton Group schools have women at the helm.

In a world where we’re surrounded by concepts of toxic masculinity, Andrew Tate, and Everyone’s Invited, I think we can learn something from women’s experiences, outlooks and approaches.

So, I wrote a blog.

The Female Housemaster is a collection of thoughts, reflections and anecdotes from my experience as a woman in charge of boys. It isn’t a definitive guide, merely a contribution to the greater discourse, and an acknowledgement that women know stuff about boys, too.

About me

There is a real person behind this blog, not a verbose feminist Housemaster. Well, not just that anyway.

My name is Laura MacKenzie and I am 40 years old. Born and educated in Scotland, I have made England my home since 2011. I am married to Jon, and we have a spaniel called Sprock.

When not assuming responsibility for 60-odd (“odd” being the word at times!) boys aged 13 to 18, I teach Politics, play in a progressive rock band, read Gothic literature, and lie in a darkened room.