The Key to Collaborative Leadership

Presenters: Anna Mai Rooney and Finbarr Hurley

This seminar will offer you the opportunity to reflect on what collaborative leadership is at its most effective, how it works in your school context and the steps that you can take to further develop it.

ANNA MAI ROONEY PRIMARY DIRECTOR, CENTRE FOR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP Anna Mai is originally from Ballymahon in Co. Longford. After graduating from St. Patrick’s College in Drumcondra in 1987, she taught in St. Patrick’s Loreto Primary School in Bray. On moving to Monaghan in 1992, Anna Mai taught in St. Patrick’s National School, Clara, in North Monaghan and in Scoil Mhuire, Gransha, Clones from 1994–2000. She became the Teaching Principal of Scoil Mhuire, Magherarney, Smithborough in 2000 where she remained until becoming Administrative Principal of St. Louis GNS in Monaghan town in 2008. Anna Mai was appointed as Deputy Director Primary of the Centre for School Leadership in 2015.

Anna Mai completed a master’s in educational management in 2009 with the University of Ulster and was a part-time facilitator with the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) from 2005–2015. She was a member of the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) Board of Directors until 2021. Anna Mai is a member of the management committee of Partnership Schools, a joint initiative between IPPN and the National Parents’ Council to promote whole communities working together to achieve better outcomes for children. She is also a member of the DCU Changemaker Schools Steering Committee, an external examiner for UL and a final year Ed D student with the University of Glasgow.

FINBARR HURLEY CENTRE FOR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP Finbarr studied for his B. Ed in Mary Immaculate College and qualified as a primary school teacher in 1994. He taught in Cork city for 7 years before being seconded to the European Schools. Whilst in Brussels, Finbarr was the Pedagogical and Primary Coordinator, with responsibility for scope and sequence of curriculum and consolidation of teaching and learning across 8 national language sections.

Finbarr spent 2 years in Doha, Qatar as Deputy Principal of a large international school. There, he and his team implemented enquiry-based methodologies so as to further engage the pupils in their learning.

He was then re-seconded to the European Schools as Principal of the European School of Karlsruhe in Germany. Finbarr returned to Ireland to begin his role as principal of St. Columba’s BNS in Douglas, Cork. During this time, he was a facilitator for the NIPT workshops to newly qualified teachers as well as being a CSL Mentor and CARA. Finbarr was seconded to the role of Primary Coordinator to the Centre for School Leadership (CSL) in 2019.

Finbarr is a present board member of the Board of Directors of IPPN. He has facilitated the leadership pathway seminars at conference as well as seminars at county network level and national council level.