Margaret Giblin
Head of Marymount International School
Catholic School Leadership, 2019
Headteacher Margaret Giblin has held various education and teaching roles over the years in both Ireland and the UK. In 2021, she was appointed as the Head of Marymount International School London having previously been Senior Deputy Head at Woldingham School in Surrey. In 2015, Margaret decided to do the Catholic School Leadership master’s at St Mary’s University.
“St Mary’s provides an opportunity for those of us who are within the Catholic Education world to really deepen our understanding of what it is to be in a Catholic school, but also to understand the leadership elements that are required.”
The other side of the classroom
Having spent all her career working in education, Margaret decided to go back into further study in 2015 and do the master’s in Catholic School Leadership at St Mary’s which she completed in 2019. At undergrad level, she studied Theology and English before moving to education and completing her teacher training in Ireland.
Following that, Margaret taught in Ireland and then in the UK, taking on some middle leader roles as a Head of Department and Head of Year. She then went on to be a Head of a Junior School and Deputy Head, before being appointed as Head of Marymount International London in 2021.
"For me, the Catholic side is a very important element of the schools that I work in. It resonates very well with me and suits me as an individual.”
One of the main reasons Margaret chose to do the master’s in Catholic School Leadership at St Mary’s was because it resonated with her personal interests, while also directly relating to the career and vocation that she was in. Margaret saw it as an opportunity to deepen her understanding of what it is to be a Catholic school, but also to understand the leadership elements that are required in her role.
She began as a distance learner, with the flexibility of the course allowing her to balance a busy work and family life with her studies. Eventually, Margaret moved from the distance learning model to the model where there was an on-campus Saturday school at interim periods throughout the academic year. This also suited Margaret, as she highly enjoyed the inter-colleague dialogue and the face-to-face relationship with the tutors.
Margaret shares that she couldn’t fault the support from the academics, which was very personalised and responsive. She adds that there is a wonderful ethos of encouragement and genuine engagement at St Mary’s, with tutors wanting you to achieve your best within your learning.
“The tutorials and the inter-student dialogue was really enriching, and even today I'm still in contact with colleagues who I did the course with."
"The course was both stimulating and invigorating, and I enjoyed actually being a learner again.”
Reflecting on how her time at St Mary’s has helped her in her career, Margaret says that it has deepened her understanding about Catholic Education on the foundations that it was built. She shares that the master’s enables students to look at their schools in the contemporary world, exploring both the opportunities and the challenges that come with that, as well as the distinctive charism in the schools that they operate in.
The master’s also helped Margaret reflect on what it is to be a leader, looking at different models of leadership and what it is to be a leader in a Catholic School. This included the spiritual leadership that is required but also the servant leadership related to the model of Christ himself.
“I think overall the master’s helped me in two realms. Firstly, in deepening my understanding of the theological tradition of Catholic Education, and then also in the skills that being a leader of a Catholic school requires.”
Looking beyond her role, Margaret believes the master’s has helped her empathise even more deeply with her students who are preparing for exams and trying to manage their studies with other parts of their lives. Going back into consistent learning again after a long break, Margaret spent time trying to find the right balance.
While it was hard at times, Margaret shares that she found the master’s really invigorating and the joy that comes with being a learner again really fantastic.
“I too was a learner trying to get that balance, and I think that the invigoration and the stimulation that it gives you is really powerful.”
