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Critically reviews mentoring for new headteachers in England. First provides a background to the English scheme which shows that mentoring was introduced as a way of supporting new school leaders, then focuses on the concept of mentoring. Sets out the main characteristics of mentoring in England in order to establish greater clarity about its definition. Considers the advantages and disadvantages of mentoring. Notes and discusses four advantages and four disadvantages. The advantages are: that mentoring for new heads facilitates peer support; enables newcomers to make the role and occupational identity changes necessary; benefits mentors as well as mentees; and the process encourages reflective practice. The disadvantages are: pairing new heads and mentors is problematic; there is a dearth of knowledge about the needs of new heads in the 1990s; advice from experienced heads may be outmoded; and mentoring may sustain too strong a belief in the central importance of headteachers. Finally, critically reviews the strengths and weaknesses of mentoring. Mentoring may stimulate reflective, critical leadership or be a means of passing on conservative role assumptions. At present we have too little data to say which, in practice, it really is.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of what the author believes to be his major contributions to the field of Educational Administration.

The approach taken is a personal review and reflection based on research. For purposes of structuring the article three themes have been selected – complexity, development, and being close to and providing an empirical base for policy and practice. In addition, three areas are discussed that the author regrets having not taken further – the relationship between a school and its system from the school's perspective, the role of quality evidence, particularly the provision of valid and reliable surveys for use by practitioners, and public attitudes to education, including re‐examining the purposes of schools and their enactment.

The studies reviewed stress the importance of the interrelationship between the individual, organisational and contextual in effective teaching of educational administration, organisational development in schools, leadership for organisational learning and student outcomes, and successful school principalship. These studies promote a “tinkering towards Utopia”. “Tinkering” in the sense of improvement from the inside out rather than from outside schools and from the top down, and being about small scale and developmental rather than wholesale and/or continuous change. “Utopian” in the sense of focusing on complexity and heterogeneity rather than simplicity and homogeneity in both purposes and processes. “Utopia” is about learning for all, especially through facilitating schools as communities of professional learners. However, there continues to be a need for researchers in the field to provide a stronger empirical base for policy and practice, including providing quality, culturally specific evidence.

While clarity is provided on the links between leadership and student outcomes in schools and areas for further research are identified, the article is limited by its heavy reliance on the author's Australian research findings.

The article has value in that the links are clarified between leadership and a breadth of student outcomes. It broadens what counts for good schooling and school leadership and provides clear evidence for improvements in policy and practice.