“Being” a new principal in Scotland

<jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-heading">Purpose</jats:title><jats:p>This paper aims to explore the extent to which the programme for principal preparation in Scotland relates to what is expected of principals once they are in post and what it is that they actually do.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-heading">Design/methodology/approach</jats:title><jats:p>The paper analyses the professional experience of five relatively new elementary school principals reported in monthly logs maintained over a six‐month period.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-heading">Findings</jats:title><jats:p>The preparation for headship programme appears to help develop the professional identity of aspiring headteachers, broaden their outlook and develop confidence and self‐belief. What is not clear is the extent to which the programme is developing principals with the strength of purpose required to work towards schools centred on educational values.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-heading">Originality/value</jats:title><jats:p>The paper builds on previous work by the authors and makes a contribution to the research on principal preparation and the work of new school principals.</jats:p></jats:sec>