Principal wants the 'very best' for St Cecilia's girls

“I want the very best for the girls.”

These were the heartfelt final words of the principal of Derry’s St Cecilia’s College, Mary Jo O’Carolan, speaking to Derry News about her new job.

Ms O’Carolan came into post in September, having spent three years as vice principal and, prior to that, her whole teaching career in St Columb’s College.

Her grá for St Cecilia’s and its students is evident in what she says and how she says it.

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“What I like about St Cecilia’s,” said Ms O’Carolan, “is our ethos and the pastoral care here. In 2020, We were the winners of the Gold Pearson UK National Teaching Award for Making a Difference - Secondary School of the Year.

“The school is outstanding but, like all schools, we are always striving to do better. It is not about the teachers or the parents. It is about our girls getting to progress to where they want to go, that is the bottom line.

“I always say to them, ‘Girls, I just want you to be able to earn your own money and not have to rely on anybody, to be able to go out and buy your own car and do anything that you want’. That is what we want for them all. We want them to be independent and resilient and we want them to be happy doing what they are doing.”

Fondly recalling happy childhood holidays in Fahan in Inishowen with her sisters, Patricia and Helen, and brothers, Lawrence and Billy, Ms O’Carolan explained what O’Carolan née Doherty she was.

“My Mammy was Agnes Fletcher from St Columba’s Avenue in Buncrana and my Daddy was Paddy Doherty from Rossville Street here in Derry. He belonged to the Doherty’s Bakery clan. My Granny, Mamie Doherty, started the bakery and then my Uncle Billy took it over and built it up.

“Daddy played the trombone. He would have been in the TA Band and played at events and pantomimes. He taught engineering in the training centre, that was his career.

“When the train went from Derry to Buncrana, my granny had a wee corrugated iron tearoom near the Railway Tavern, where the train stopped and people could get their tea. When she died, the wee hut was partitioned off and we all went down to Fahan for our summer holidays,” she laughed. “I don’t know how we slept. There was no running water or anything but we had the absolutely best times.”

Married to Donncha with one son, Leo, Ms O’Carolan recalled always wanting to be a teacher.

However, her pathway into the profession was unconventional, something she recognised might also be a possibility for today’s St Cecilia’s students.

“Initially I went into work for Derry Boston Ventures, which was funded by LEDU and Invest NI. John Hume was the big champion behind Derry Boston Ventures.

“So, I worked and did my degree part time at Magee. I then did my PGCE (postgraduate certificate in education) in England. I did my teaching placement in St Columb’s College and I never left, until I came to St Cecilia’s, 23 years later. While I was at St Columb’s, I completed a postgraduate course in Management Studies and my MBA, as well as my Professional Qualification in Headship. I loved St Columb’s where I mostly taught A’ Level.

“I always had a wee yearning for St Cecilia’s, so, when the job of vice principal came up, I applied. I was ecstatic when I got it. There was a slight adjustment coming from St Columb’s but, within a couple of months, it all fell into place and I Iove it here. I am very, very happy in St Cecilia’s. The culture and ethos is lovely. It is a really, really pleasant place to work.”

Ms O’Carolan said she was a little nervous about what she was going to say to the whole school community on her first day as principal.

“I thought about it a lot and the gist of what I said was, I have brothers and sisters. I have a life when I leave St Cecilia’s and so do all of you and we all come in every day, with our own things, but always remember, we are here for one another and you have my utmost respect.

“I really believe we have to look after one another because when we are okay, everything else is okay. It is also important we have fun because we also want students to enjoy their time at St Cecilia’s.

“Our girls and their families are very tuned in to where they want to go when they leave St Cecilia’s and everybody has a different pathway. Some girls might go straight to university, which they do and achieve great things, and some girls might want to go to the North West Regional College because they know exactly what they want to do. Everything is open to them with the excellent careers advice in the school.

“When I think about our recent ISO Diversity and Inclusion award, I think about all of the different pathways people in the St Cecilia’s school community have taken. There are people here who have worked in fields outside education and have then gone back and trained as teachers. Our vice principal, Mr Joe Lafferty was a nurse before he came to St Cecilia’s. So, we tell the girls, there are many different routes to where they want to go,” said Ms O’Carolan.

“Every one of them has a different talent,” she added, “and we have to nurture that talent and push them to achieve their very best. That is our priority.

“We want the girls to be happy in school and then we are just pushing forward. There is the pick up from covid and we currently have a huge focus on English and maths. We have a lot of in-school support around these two subjects. I know the girls and their families recognise the importance of English and maths too. They know they are vital GCSEs. We also offer A’ Level maths at St Cecilia’s.

“As teachers, we are constantly trying to navigate paths to get our girls to where they want to be. I want the very best for the girls.”