Aim: The study aimed to:
Describe the perceived spiritual and moral bases of headship in a range of heads;
Explore the use of the metaphor of reservoirs of hope in describing the preservation of individual values and institutional self-belief against external pressures;
Promote practitioner reflection on critical incidents when spiritual and moral leadership was tested;
Codify heads individual strategies for sustainability, replenishment and development; and
Analyse why some headteachers leave headship early due to the possible failure of their sustainability strategies when reservoirs of hope