Guest: Patrick Ottley O'Connor, a former principal and executive principal who now coaches school leaders and is founding director of Collaborative Leadership Ltd (roles as at recording). Published 11 November 2024.
What this covers
- Practical strategies for building a culture of care in a school.
- Why self-care matters for school leaders.
- Why leaders should put their own wellbeing first and model the behaviour they want to see in staff.
- Patrick's idea of leaders as "wellbeing supermodels" for pupils and staff.
Before you act on it
The DfE's education staff wellbeing charter sets out commitments schools and employers can make on staff and leader wellbeing.
About the session
Jonathan and Lucy chat with Patrick Ottley O’Connor about Creating a Culture of Care
Patrick has been a teacher for 35 years, a senior leader for 29 years, including 18 years as a Principal/Executive Principal in secondary, primary and special schools
He is a leadership development coach for many SLT, aspiring, new and experienced headteachers and CEOs, particularly those facing significant challenge both in the UK and internationally. He uses his allyship and advocacy to champion diversity, equity and inclusion and has recently coached his 59th woman into a headship, executive headship &/or CEO role.
Patrick leads and facilitates a variety leadership programmes, including the NPQ programmes ranging from Middle to Executive Leadership courses. He is a regular keynote speaker at educational leadership conferences and guest lectures on a range of Masters programmes.
His work is cited in a variety of education leadership books and he recently contributed to the Diverse Educators: A Manifesto.
Patrick is also a Board Member of the Watergrove Trust and the Berwick Academy Trust, as well as founding Director of Collaborative Leadership Ltd. He is a Mental Health First Aider and is also on several advisory boards supporting student and staff mental health in schools, including The Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health Leads in Schools, HeadsUp4HTs and Teacher5aday.
He is married to Mel and has 5 sons
They discuss:
- Practical strategies for creating a culture of care in schools
- The importance of self-care for school leaders.
- Why leaders should prioritise their own well-being and model the behaviour they want to see in their staff.
- How to become wellbeing supermodels and make a positive difference for their students and staff.
