Purpose: This paper examines the conditions that shape and constrain cooperating primary school teachers’ readiness to take on mentoring roles within a partnership model of initial teacher education (ITE) in the Republic of Ireland. It examines their understanding of policy expectations, the duality of their roles, and the challenges they face, providing insights into how professional learning can address these issues. Design/methodology/approach: Adopting a qualitative methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 cooperating teachers (CTs), all of whom had over 5 years of experience supporting student teachers. Thematic analysis was used to explore their perceptions, challenges, and readiness to engage with the Teaching Council of Ireland’s expanded vision of their roles in ITE, focusing on their experiences and professional learning needs. Findings: The findings identify three themes that shape and constrain CTs’ readiness to engage with their evolving mentoring role. First, limited policy awareness highlights a lack of clarity regarding role expectations. Second, CTs identified the conflicting demands placed upon their roles as both mentor and classroom teacher to be challenging, often feeling underprepared or unqualified. Third, fragile institutional relationships point to weak communication between schools and higher education institutions, with minimal systemic support for mentoring. Originality: This paper highlights the critical role of CTs in bridging theory and practice in ITE, emphasising the need for structured professional learning. By foregrounding readiness for change, the paper offers a lens through which to address the challenges faced by CTs. It flags the importance of collaborative efforts in advancing ITE. Keywords: Cooperating Teachers, Initial Teacher Education (ITE), Professional Learning, Mentoring, Readiness for Change, HEI–School Partnerships, Teacher Education Policy Article Classification: Research Paper (empirical research)