ABSTRACT
An organisation has to consider why it should set up a coaching or mentoring programme and how this programme should be operated. There is a growing body of evidence which shows the success of coaching and mentoring programmes, but little comment about failure. Organisations may decide to introduce programmes with significantly different foci. For example, there are those schemes that use mentoring or coaching as remediation for improving the quality of teaching and learning. Other schemes use coaching or mentoring in support of classroom observation to improve teaching and to recognise and share good practice in preparation for a forthcoming inspection. There is a growing number of schemes in schools and colleges for the development and improvement of leaders and managers. There are those schemes that use mentoring to support the development of teachers who are new to the organisation. Fabian and Simpson (2002) have researched the benefits of mentoring support for a new teacher to a school or college and concluded that new staff can be helped to make sense of, and understand, the uncertainties they face and the insecurities they feel. Wendell (1997) has also provided evidence to support the notion that mentoring is important for new staff to settle into new surroundings.
