ABSTRACT
Mentoring is recognised as significant to teacher development in Initial Teacher Education and beyond; this has led to greater attention internationally to the role of mentors and mentoring with policy and guidance documents. As mentors, teachers can be both policy subjects and policy actors. This chapter examines how teachers in their role as mentors can critically engage with policy and navigate the professional landscape they are mentoring within. Through the lens of four policy documents from policy landscape in England (2015–2020), the chapter will explore how mentors can critically engage with the educational policy system that is influencing their mentoring. This will be illuminated through consideration of the kinds of policy documents that exist, their purpose, and how they might influence mentoring practice. Through exploration of professional identity and development, and mentor subject expertise and context, the chapter will illuminate the complexity of the mentor role that can be either revealed or concealed within policy.
