Caroline Sheill spent 12 years in corporate finance before discovering her teaching vocation during maternity leave. After training in Montessori and Special Education she eventually became Deputy Principal in an ASD specific school before moving to St. Michael's House in Ballymun as Principal.

Arriving at the end of COVID to lead 60+ masked staff she'd never met, Caroline made a crucial decision: spend September meeting every staff member individually before implementing any changes. This listening-first approach helped her understand existing expertise and build trust before transformation.

Those conversations led to key innovations which prevented burnout, built whole-school capacity, and shifted the culture from reactive to proactive behaviour strategies, making both students and staff feel genuinely safe.

Join us to hear practical strategies for leading change, preventing specialist burnout, and building effective transition programmes that prepare students with complex needs for adult life through real community partnerships with hairdressers, libraries, and cafés.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

•  Meeting every staff member before changing anything
•  Mixing classes and building whole school approach to needs
•  Reactive to proactive behaviour strategies making students and staff feel safe at school
•  How new classrooms impact on the physical environment matters as much as staff
•  Community links transition programme to give students real life skills

GUEST DETAILS

Caroline Sheill is the principal of St Michael's House Special National School in Ballymun, serving 64 students aged 5-18 with moderate to severe/profound intellectual disabilities (28 with autism diagnoses, many with complex medical needs requiring four nurses on staff). Her journey to education was unconventional—working 12 years in a multinational's accounts department then customer service before realizing during maternity leave with her second child that she wanted a career allowing more family time.

MORE INFORMATION

IPPN is the officially-recognised, professional network for leaders of Irish primary schools. It is an independent, not-for-profit, voluntary association, with a local, regional and national presence.

It provides practical resources, professional learning, and peer support to strengthen leadership capacity and sustainability. IPPN also advocates on behalf of school leaders, ensuring their perspectives influence education policy and practice.

Learn more about IPPN and our work at ippn.ie

Our podcast is produced by dustpod.io

QUOTES

•  I decided for the month of September, I was going to meet every single member of staff individually before I changed anything. That was the start. - Caroline Sheill
•  I wanted to talk to every single one of them and get an opinion from every one of them about the good and the bad in the school. That was the first time staff said they really felt acknowledged for the skill sets they had. - Caroline Sheill
•  To get to the teaching and learning, we had to sit down and go: How can we make this safe so our children feel they don't have to be anxious coming to school? - Caroline Sheill
•  I'm extremely proud of the community links we've formed over the last two to three years. Our 17 and 18 year olds can be quite forgotten in special schools—still under primary curriculum. Our young adults have started going out doing work placements - Caroline Sheill

KEYWORDS

#specialSchoolLeadership #behaviourSupport #communityLinks #physicalEnvironment #transitionProgramme

Gemma Maher failed her Leaving Cert once but found her way to teaching through Colraine and Glasgow University. Now she's principal of Rathcoole Educate Together National School, which opened in September 2020 without having any building keys until the night before.

Gemma champions genuine inclusion through relationships, every staff member knows every child's name, story, and family. The autism class is integral to school life, not isolated in a separate wing. As a parent of an autistic son thriving in mainstream education, she understands how crucial skilled SNAs are, calling them the "golden ticket" to inclusion.

Teachers will learn practical approaches to building inclusive school culture, supporting diverse needs through relationships rather than separation, and why Gemma advocates loudly that the teaching principal role for new schools is "unsustainable, unmanageable, and unfair".

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

•  Relationships and how staff knowing kids, families and each other enables inclusion
•  Opening a school during COVID without keys night before
• How September 30 numbers penalise growth unfairly
• SNAs are golden ticket to inclusion
•  SIMS project is excellent but needs funding and training

GUEST DETAILS

Gemma Maher is the founding principal of Rathcoole Educate Together National School in West Dublin, which opened in September 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

After starting at Catherine McAuley dyslexia school, she spent 14 years at St. Catherine's working in specialist classes and becoming AP2 and Acting Deputy under principals April Cronan and Karen Jordan, where she participated in the SIMS (School Inclusion Model) project that influences her current practice. 

MORE INFORMATION

IPPN is the officially-recognised, professional network for leaders of Irish primary schools. It is an independent, not-for-profit, voluntary association, with a local, regional and national presence.

It provides practical resources, professional learning, and peer support to strengthen leadership capacity and sustainability. IPPN also advocates on behalf of school leaders, ensuring their perspectives influence education policy and practice. 

Learn more about IPPN and our work at ippn.ie

Our podcast is produced by dustpod.io

QUOTES

•  It's a different role you're stepping into. Give yourself time to get the skills that you need to do the job. - Gemma Maher
•  I don't think any school should be opened with a teaching principal. It is unsustainable, unmanageable and unfair. - Gemma Maher
•  Every child gets greeted by the staff in the morning by name because we know everybody's name.  - Gemma Maher
•  I think at the crux of everything we do is relationships. The heart of our school is that my staff know my kids, my staff know my families, my staff know each other.   - Gemma Maher
•  SNAs are fundamental to inclusion. Having access to SNAs and applying for SNAs and training of SNAs, they are the golden ticket to inclusion.  - Gemma Maher

KEYWORDS

#inclusiveEducation #teachingPrincipal #developingSchools #educateTogether #SNAprofessionalisation

Brian O’Doherty talks with accredited psychotherapist and mental health consultant Sinead Kennedy about the growing pressures on school communities. 

Sinead shares her journey into psychotherapy, her insights on the surge in anxiety among students and staff, and why school leaders are at high risk of burnout. She introduces Be Well, Lead Well — a new 10-module digital series designed to help leaders prevent burnout through practical, evidence-based strategies. 

From setting boundaries without guilt to building supportive environments, this conversation offers both honest reflections and actionable tools for sustaining wellbeing in education.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

• Why Sinead’s own life experiences drew her into psychotherapy and mental health work.
• The role schools play in supporting both student wellbeing and staff mental health.
• Why anxiety is rising among children — and how teachers can better understand and respond to it.
• Burnout in school leadership: the difference between stress and burnout, and why prevention matters.
• Setting boundaries without guilt — learning to say “no” to protect your ability to lead.
• Practical tools and strategies from the Be Well, Lead Well digital series for sustaining long-term wellbeing.

GUEST DETAILS

Sinead is a deeply compassionate and fully accredited psychotherapist, coach, and mental health consultant with a special focus on anxiety. With a BA in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy and certifications in CBT, mindfulness, EMDR, the Rewind Technique, suicide intervention (ASIST), substance use intervention (SAOR), Children First safeguarding, and more, she brings a rich, multi-disciplinary approach to every session. 

Her professional journey includes volunteering with Teenline Ireland and Bodywhys, providing support to teens and those affected by eating disorders, and serving as a Teaching Assistant at the Institute for Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy. 

MORE INFORMATION

IPPN is the officially-recognised, professional network for the leaders of Irish primary schools. It is an independent, not-for-profit, voluntary association, with a local, regional and national presence.

Established in 2000 to address the professional needs of school leaders, IPPN’s focus has been to support school leaders locally and to shape educational policy, practice and priorities nationally. IPPN articulates the collective experience and professional insights of over 6,000 Principals and Deputy Principals.

It provides practical resources, professional learning, and peer support to strengthen leadership capacity and sustainability.
IPPN also advocates on behalf of school leaders, ensuring their perspectives influence education policy and practice.

Its structure includes local Principals’ Support Groups, county networks, and a National Council, all overseen by a Board of Directors.
Through national and international partnerships, IPPN works to create an environment where leadership thrives — benefiting pupils, schools, and communities.

Learn more about IPPN, and the work they do in education at ippn.ie.

QUOTES

• By saying yes all of the time to everything, we’re saying no to ourselves. And not that we can’t be there for others when we’re not looking after ourselves, but we can’t be there in the way that we should be – Sinead Kennedy 
• You’re not going to be of much use to somebody if you are completely burnt out and have to leave the profession.  – Sinead Kennedy
• Burnout and stress often get spoken about together, but they’re different — and understanding that difference is the first step to prevention. – Sinead Kennedy
• There are things within your control — even when it feels like everything is on top of you. – Sinead Kennedy
• Fifty percent of school leaders are at high or severe levels of burnout. That’s something we need to think about — and respond to. – Sinead Kennedy

KEYWORDS

#BurnoutPrevention #SchoolLeadership #WellbeingInSchools #TeacherWellbeing #AnxietySupport #MentalHealthAwareness #EducationLeadership #SelfCareForLeaders #BeWellLeadWell 

Welcome to IPPN’s Leading for Impact podcast.

In our first ever show, Brian O’Doherty sits down with Deirdre Kelly, newly elected president of IPPN and principal of St. Michael’s National School in rural Sligo.

Deirdre shares her personal journey from a childhood steeped in education to a career spanning special schools, disadvantaged settings, and nearly two decades as a teaching principal.

She reflects on the steep learning curve of leadership, the importance of mentorship, and the constant challenge of balancing classroom teaching with the demands of school leadership.

Deirdre also discusses her path into IPPN governance, her priorities for her presidency, and why authenticity and keeping children at the heart of every decision will guide her tenure. This is an honest, engaging conversation about leadership, advocacy, and creating safe, thriving school communities.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

• How a family tradition in teaching shaped Deirdre’s career in education.
• The unique rewards and challenges of being a teaching principal in a small rural school.
• The value of mentorship and collegiality for new school leaders.
• Managing the “perfect principal” myth — and learning to say “this is enough.”
• Articulating teaching principals’ views at national level through IPPN.
• Why authenticity and a child-centred focus will define Deirdre’s presidency.

GUEST DETAILS

Deirdre Kelly is the principal of St. Michael’s National School, a five-teacher rural school in County Sligo, and the newly elected president of the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN). 

With a teaching career that spans special schools, disadvantaged settings, and large urban schools, she brings a wealth of experience to her leadership role. A graduate of Froebel College and Trinity College Dublin, Deirdre has served on IPPN’s National Council and Board of Directors, advocating strongly for teaching principals. 

Known for her authenticity, passion for member engagement, and commitment to keeping children at the heart of decision-making, she is dedicated to creating safe, supportive, and thriving school communities.

MORE INFORMATION

IPPN is the officially-recognised, professional network for the leaders of Irish primary schools. It is an independent, not-for-profit, voluntary association, with a local, regional and national presence.

Established in 2000 to address the professional needs of school leaders, IPPN’s focus has been to support school leaders locally and to shape educational policy, practice and priorities nationally. IPPN articulates the collective experience and professional insights of over 6,000 Principals and Deputy Principals.

It provides practical resources, professional learning, and peer support to strengthen leadership capacity and sustainability.
IPPN also advocates on behalf of school leaders, ensuring their perspectives influence education policy and practice.

Its structure includes local Principals’ Support Groups, county networks, and a National Council, all overseen by a Board of Directors.
Through national and international partnerships, IPPN works to create an environment where leadership thrives — benefiting pupils, schools, and communities.

Learn more about IPPN, and the work they do in education at ippn.ie.

QUOTES

• This is enough and I am enough. Some days that’s the most important thing you can tell yourself – Deirdre Kelly 
• It is such a privilege to be a teaching principal because I absolutely have the best of both worlds – Deirdre Kelly
• Being a teaching principal is like juggling all the time — and then someone throws in three extra balls. – Deirdre Kelly
• The reason IPPN exists is for the children — so they can have the best possible outcomes in our schools. – Deirdre Kelly
• If I’m not at the table highlighting the concerns of teaching principals, then who is going to – Deirdre Kelly

KEYWORDS

#SchoolLeadership #TeachingPrincipal #EducationLeadership #IPPN #ChildCentredEducation #MentorshipMatters #WorkLifeBalance #LeadershipJourney #AuthenticLeadership #DeirdreKelly #IPPNPodcast

Leading for Impact understands the reality of the school day and gives you the tools to navigate it better.

We bring you conversations with school leaders who've faced the same impossible juggling acts we all know too well, plus policy makers, mental health experts, and stakeholder voices who understand the pressures you face. 

You’ll discover evidence-based solutions, hear how other schools have tackled similar challenges, and gain fresh perspectives that help you see your own practice with new clarity.

Leading for Impact – Real conversations for real school leaders from IPPN, the network for Irish Principals and Deputy Principals.

Coming to Apple, Spotify and YouTube this September. Follow now so you don't miss the first episode.