Promoting Reflection on Headship Through the Mentoring Mirror

Abstract

This article reports some findings from a national evaluation of the Department for Education pilot headteacher mentoring scheme in the UK. It suggests that the new headteachers involved reported having benefited from mentoring in a number of ways. First, it offered a means whereby they could raise matters of concern and receive appropriate advice. Second, it gave them an opportunity to reflect on the role of the headteacher, and thus to improve their understanding of it. Third, it enabled them to develop a broader and more balanced perspective on headship. Fourth, it constituted a form of personal support. Fifth, it served as an emotional relief. The mentors involved acknowledged the gains listed above and also identified other benefits both for themselves and for those they were mentoring.