A top class principal

Colin, it is true that you are a native of the City?

I am, yes. Born, bred and grew up here.

Where did you live as a child?

I started off living in Kilfennan, in Kilburn Crescent. It was number 21...was it? Or 12? Either 12 or 21...can't remember.

Were you ever a pupil at this school?

I wasn't, no. Lisnagelvin wasn't around when I started by primary school career. I was actually in P6 when Lisnagelvin first opened. I was a pupil in Ebrington...

It is strange, particularly, maybe for a boy, that you never actually left school...

Well, that's true, I left school and went back into school. It was a career I often thought I might enjoy, and was one of two or three.

What else did you think you might do?

I had actually thoughts of joining the Merchant Navy at one point and I had actually gone on a training course, on a Merchant Navy ship, and I also, because I was good at mathematics, thought about accountancy as a career too, but when it came down to it, teaching got the vote. After Ebrington I attended Foyle College, and I did my A Levels in Foyle, so I left the City in 1987, and then I went to Stranmillis College in Belfast and did my four-year teaching degree and the rest is history. I did 10 years in a school in Antrim and six-and-a-half years in a school in Ballymena...

Why did you decide that you wanted to go on and actually be a principal?

I have always been quite ambitious. Now, I loved teaching and I loved being in the classroom, but I have always been ambitious. At Stranmillis, before leaving Stranmillis I did an extra year as the president of the Students Union. I got involved in the Students Union quite early on in my Stranmillis career and then became president, so when I got into schools I was always looking for a promotion or taking things on.

Was that something that your parents schooled into you?

I think they always believed that I should go into something that I enjoyed and was happy doing, but there was always that drive to push myself and be ambitious. So, I went for the vice-principal job of a school in Ballymena and I thoroughly enjoyed that experience and I think of all my roles to date in schools, the vice-principal roles gave me the most satisfaction. I got involved in all levels of the management but at the same time if there was a problem, I could pass it on.

Did you keep your teaching on?

As a vice-principal, yes.

What about now as a principal?

As a principal: I was four years as a principal in a school in Ballymena after my vice-principal role and I was teaching then.

What was your subject?

Well, maths I was trained in but I was in a Primary School so it was teaching a class. The first two of those four years I was in a class and then for the next two I was covering other teachers. So, I did keep some teaching. I have found in my first year here that with the size of this school and with this building project going on it took up a lot of my time and getting into classrooms was a bit more difficult.

What's it like coming into a completely new school in an area that's not completely new to you but in another way, is completely new to you, and having this project in your first year? What's that been like for you?

I have found it stressful at times. But enjoyable. Now, moving into any new job, and certainly a principal's job, your first years should be around building relationships, getting to know the place, getting to know routines and who is good at what and so on so you can utilise those talents. This made it even more difficult for me because not only is it a large school there are so many different people to get to know and so many different routines, so trying to co-ordinate this move and the building project I spent a lot of time with contractors, with architects and with other people involved in the building move that it probably meant I didn't get to be involved with the children as much as I would have liked, because I was so busy. So, I am looking forward to next year and being settled and to getting to know the children a lot better..

How has it been coming back to the City after such a long absence? What's been the biggest surprise, because you are still living in Ballymena, aren't you?

We are still living in Ballymena but we hope to move in June. I think the biggest shock is just how big the City has grown.

What kind of commute is that?

In the mornings it takes about an hour and five minutes, but in the afternoon going home it is about an hour and a quarter. So it takes a big chunk out of the day and at the end of the week it leaves me physically exhausted. I'm amazed at just how big the Waterside area has become, especially that Link Road. When I was living here that was all fields. When I was growing up as a boy the Link Road did not exist, so that's all new.

All the housing that has gone on out past the hospital and all down Crescent Link that must not have been there.

I knew none of that. It was all rolling hills and in fact, when I was a boy, when you came up, the Rossdowney Road stopped just above where Kilfennan Church is now and that was all fields where the church was and my grandmother lived on the Rossdowney Road at that area, and we used to go across the road and into the field when it was snowing and take plastic bags and sliding down it. That's just the biggest shock to me, how quick things have gone up.

Are you looking forward to coming back?

I am looking forward to coming back. I'm gong to be closer to the school also, I have two little boys, so they will come here too. The eldest one will be starting here in September. He is coming into P1, so that will be nice to come home to them and not be just so tired. I have a lot of friends still in the City.

You'll be amazed how many people will remember you.

I have parents here who I went to school with and they have come up to me and it's been nice to catch up.