Principal (Headteacher) preparation is regarded in many countries as a crucial aspect of school development and progression. However, despite the growth of global interest in principal preparation in the past decade (Hallinger, 2003), pre appointment preparation is largely an ‘act of faith’. Research often focuses on designing, developing and delivering preparation programs, rarely considering the difference they make to principals once they take up post. This paper, however, will focus on English and Scottish studies that are part of the second stage of a larger international project, The International Study of the Preparation of Principals (ISPP). The paper will take a narrative approach to consider the experiences of a small group of newly appointed primary school principals in England and Scotland. The key focus of the paper will be to consider the relationship between what it is that principals do and the learning outcomes of our respective programs. The reality of the lives of principals as reported by them through interview, reflective logs and focus group discussions will be explored. The paper will also investigate the extent to which the respective programmes connect with the experiences of our respondents. Finally, it will consider the extent to which the NPQH or the SQH helps prepare them for the reality of life as a school principal.