The complex relationship between principal preparation and the ability of principals to lead and manage effectively is a relatively new area of enquiry and fraught with methodological difficulties. Our previous work in the second phase of the ISPP (Cowie & Crawford, 2006) adopted a narrative approach to reveal the experiences of a group of newly appointed primary school principals in England and Scotland. This work examined the relationship between what it is that principals do and the learning outcomes of the NPQH and the SQH programmes. While the narratives suggested that preparation programmes helped new heads develop confidence to 'hit the ground running,' what was not clear was the extent to which they were prepared to go beyond heading a managed school 'mandated and directed' by government and focused on predefined outcomes, or whether they had the confidence to work towards 'the renewed school', centred on educational values 'in which open, collaborative, self critical, and professional cultures produce a renewed focus on teaching and learning and on affirming professional development' (Gleeson & Husbands, 2003). The main purpose of this paper, therefore, is to consider the extent to which the new heads settle for the 'managed school' or focus on developing the 'renewed school.' and the implications of this for preparation programmes. Data for the study reported in this paper will be gathered from a second round of semi structured interviews, one year after the first set, and used to further explore the perceptions of novice headteachers and the interactive relationship between their preparation experiences and their practice. Headteachers' voices will be presented through narrative accounts and related to emergent themes and to themes replicated in the literature. Our research has already indicated that preparation programmes seemed to allow both access to supportive networks which are or have the potential to become communities of practice, and to help ground the identity of 'being a headteacher' that the programme participants might not have found elsewhere. What also seemed to be significant in this regard was the appropriation and use of a social language pertaining to the respective programmes, a language which Reeves & Forde (2004) refer to as a 'dialect of managerialism' (p. 87). While this may enhance the credibility of the new headteachers and can be used to allow increased control over practice, it may also be disabling because it may 'blinker them to a particular point of view and set of values' (Reeves and Forde, 2004, p. 96). This paper will report further on the impact of initial professional socialization engendered by preparation programmes on beginning headteachers' approaches to school leadership. Cowie, M. and Crawford, M. (2006) Principal Preparation Programmes in England and Scotland: Do they make a difference for the first year principal? Paper presented at the Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration and Management Conference, 12-17 October, Lefkosia (Nicosia). Gleeson, D. and Husbands, C. (2003) Modernizing schooling through performance management: a critical appraisal. Journal of Education Policy, 18(5), 499-511.Reeves, J. and Forde, C. (2004) The social dynamics of changing practice. Cambridge Journal of Education, 34(1) 85 -102.