Education Mentor
Supporting teachers, school leaders, and education professionals to grow their careers, strengthen their leadership, and navigate change with confidence.
Joan Henderson
Education Mentor
Supporting teachers, school leaders, and education professionals to grow their careers, strengthen their leadership, and navigate change with confidence.
About Joan Henderson
About Joan Henderson
I am an educational mentor and executive coach with over 45 years of experience in teaching, leadership, inspection, and professional development. My career has included roles as a nursery school principal, lecturer at Stranmillis University College, ETI inspector, curriculum contributor, and leader in early‑years development.
For the past eleven years, I have run my own company supporting teachers, senior leaders, and professionals across Northern Ireland through tailored coaching, mentoring, and leadership training. I now specialise in career progression, confidence building, interview preparation, communication skills, resilience, and supporting individuals navigating change.
I am the designer of the Aspiring Leaders Programme, delivered to more than 700 teachers, and have contributed widely through board membership and advisory roles. My qualifications include a BEd, Diploma in Education Management, Master’s in Guidance & Counselling, and a Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching (AOEC). I am also a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching (FCCT), recognising my long-standing contribution to the profession.
My approach is intuitive, reflective, and practical—empowering individuals to grow, lead, and thrive with confidence and clarity.
45+
years of experience in teaching, leadership, inspection, and professional development.
11+
years running my own company supporting teachers, senior leaders, and professionals across Northern Ireland.
700+
teachers reached through the Aspiring Leaders Programme, with wide contribution through board membership and advisory roles.
What Joan Specialises In
Career Progression
Supporting teachers and leaders to plan and navigate the next step in their career with clarity and confidence.
Interview Preparation
Practical, personalised preparation for leadership interviews — from strategy to delivery.
Communication Skills
Developing the communication and presence that effective leadership demands.
Confidence Building
Helping individuals recognise their strengths and step into leadership roles with greater assurance.
Navigating Change
Coaching professionals through transitions, restructures, and new beginnings in their working lives.
Resilience
Building the personal resilience that sustains leaders through the pressures of school life.
Academic & Professional Qualifications
BEd
Bachelor of Education
Undergraduate qualification in education
DASE
Diploma in Education Management
Leadership and management in educational settings
MEd
Master’s in Guidance & Counselling
Postgraduate qualification in guidance and counselling
AoEC
Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching
Accredited executive coaching qualification — Association for Coaching (AoEC)
FCCT
Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching
Recognising long-standing contribution to the profession.
Contact Joan to Schedule
your FREE Discovery Call
It’s a relaxed honest conversation to talk through what is or has been happening for you, what you need and are looking for. I try to answer any questions you might have. I share with you what I provide and how I work so you can decide whether I’m the right person to support you. I then can send you through my coaching contract with the options of work I offer, and all the relevant details.
Contact Joan to Schedule
your FREE Discovery Call
It’s a relaxed honest conversation to talk through what is or has been happening for you, what you need and are looking for. I try to answer any questions you might have. I share with you what I provide and how I work so you can decide whether I’m the right person to support you. I then can send you through my coaching contract with the options of work I offer, and all the relevant details.
Check out Joan’s Recent Articles
The Teaching Assistant: More Than a Helping Hand
The Teaching Assistant: More Than a Helping Hand
“Learning Beyond the Classroom: Where Confidence, Curiosity and Resilience Grow”
“Learning Beyond the Classroom: Where Confidence, Curiosity and Resilience Grow”
Simplifying Observation and Assessment: Understanding Children’s Learning Through Everyday Experiences