Leave a message for:
Oliver Mooney
Teaching Awards 2010 winner - Northern Ireland
Oliver Mooney
St Paul's High School, Bessbrook
The National College Award for Headteacher of the Year in a Secondary School
Oliver Mooney is a principal of great vision and a champion of comprehensive education. Since his arrival at St Paul's High School, eight years ago, he has overseen some major changes, including a massive refurbishment. The school, an all-ability secondary for more than 1200 11-18s, is now over-subscribed and has to turn pupils away.
Oliver has created a dynamic team of staff who are all expected to contribute to the life of the school, including the appointment of a vice principal for ‘quality assurance', who has led a detailed whole school improvement package at GCSE. He displays trust and faith in each member of the management team and empowers them to make a difference in areas where they have obvious strengths. Several staff have completed, or are embarking on the qualification for headship, thanks to Oliver's support.
A former geography teacher, Oliver has set high standards of excellence and equity for every pupil, from the most able to those with special needs in the school's Learning Support Centre. Parents value the pupil-centred ethos at the school. He believes in collaboration between schools which has led to St Paul's working with Rathore Special School in music and drama.
Colleagues say that Oliver has huge charisma, is a man of great intelligence and is able to think strategically. "He embodies the conviction that the essential goodness of each human being can be harnessed for the greater good of the school community and the wider community,” one colleague said.
Where staff differences arise, Oliver exhibits effective strategies in managing the situation, enabling a speedy, professional resolution. His level of pastoral care for staff going through personal crises has been exceptional, colleagues say.
Oliver has a healthy work-life balance and is fond of the outdoors, spending time with his family and young grandchildren. This allows him to sustain a strong sense of commitment to his work and high personal energy levels.
Judges said: "The principal is values-led, people-centred and achievement-oriented. He provides strongly principled educational leadership, the underpinning values of which are well known and understood and, on all the available evidence, widely shared across the school community. There is, therefore, a coherent, consistent and principled core to his leadership.”
Oliver has created a dynamic team of staff who are all expected to contribute to the life of the school, including the appointment of a vice principal for ‘quality assurance', who has led a detailed whole school improvement package at GCSE. He displays trust and faith in each member of the management team and empowers them to make a difference in areas where they have obvious strengths. Several staff have completed, or are embarking on the qualification for headship, thanks to Oliver's support.
A former geography teacher, Oliver has set high standards of excellence and equity for every pupil, from the most able to those with special needs in the school's Learning Support Centre. Parents value the pupil-centred ethos at the school. He believes in collaboration between schools which has led to St Paul's working with Rathore Special School in music and drama.
Colleagues say that Oliver has huge charisma, is a man of great intelligence and is able to think strategically. "He embodies the conviction that the essential goodness of each human being can be harnessed for the greater good of the school community and the wider community,” one colleague said.
Where staff differences arise, Oliver exhibits effective strategies in managing the situation, enabling a speedy, professional resolution. His level of pastoral care for staff going through personal crises has been exceptional, colleagues say.
Oliver has a healthy work-life balance and is fond of the outdoors, spending time with his family and young grandchildren. This allows him to sustain a strong sense of commitment to his work and high personal energy levels.
Judges said: "The principal is values-led, people-centred and achievement-oriented. He provides strongly principled educational leadership, the underpinning values of which are well known and understood and, on all the available evidence, widely shared across the school community. There is, therefore, a coherent, consistent and principled core to his leadership.”
