Interview 1: Carol McCann OBE (Former Principal)
Carol McCann taught languages in St Colman’s College, Newry for twenty-seven years and was Vice-Principal there for seven years before taking up her position as Principal of St Dominic’s Grammar School for Girls in 2007. During her time at St Colman’s, she held various roles including Year Head, Head of Department and Teacher Tutor and she had responsibility for marketing and promoting the school. In both St Colman’s and St Dominic’s, she led the schools to achieve Specialist Status and Investors in People Accreditation. During her tenure at St Dominic’s, the school was nominated for the Sunday Times NI Secondary School of the Year on two occasions and was consistently among the highest performing schools in NI and the UK. Central to Carol’s philosophy of education is the need to inculcate a sense of self belief in young people and she believes that we can all achieve so much more than we think possible if we work hard and get the right encouragement. Carol retired in 2022 after a long and extremely fulfilling career as both a teacher and senior leader. Currently, she is enjoying retirement but is still involved in various aspects of education, including acting as an assessor for senior leadership roles and school governance.
Interview 2: Jake Magill (Teacher)
Jake Magill graduated from St Mary’s University College, Belfast in July 2016 with a First Class Honours in the BEd Post-Primary degree, specialising in Religious Studies and History. Jake currently enjoys teaching Religious Studies, History and Spanish in Sacred Heart Grammar School, Newry where he has been a member of staff since March 2017. He is a Middle Leader with academic responsibilities as Internal Exams Officer (since 2018) and pastoral responsibilities as Year Head (since 2020). Jake is interested in responsive and trauma-informed pastoral care provision, as well as effective learning and teaching. He is particularly passionate about the authentic identity and mission of the Catholic school and explored the influence of synodality on the leadership of the Catholic post-primary school as part of his part-time MEd study through St Mary’s. Jake is committed to his Parish and Diocese through involvement in various ministries and committees.
Interview 3: Máire Mhic Lochlainn
Interview 4: Máire Thompson (Principal)
Máire Thompson is currently Principal of Hazelwood Integrated College, Newtownabbey and was formerly Principal of Malone College, Belfast. She is an Associate Assessor with the Education and Training Inspectorate and an Associate of the Association of Education Advisers. Máire is Chair of the CCEA Education Committee (appointed Feb 2024) and a member of the CCEA Council. She is also the lead judge for the Pearson Teaching Awards for the UK Headteacher of the Year. Máire is a member of various educational stakeholder groups, including the CCEA Curriculum and Assessment Principals’ Group, the Excluded Lives Advisory Group and the A Fair Start Stakeholders’ Reference Group. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate for services to Education by Ulster University in 2022, the same year that Hazelwood Integrated College won TES UK School of the Year. Máire was awarded the Pearson UK Principal of the Year in 2017.
