Leadership of Santa Maria College – Jennifer Oaten
Being a school principal is, without question, one of the best jobs in the world. Every day, I have the privilege of working alongside remarkable young women, dedicated staff, and a community that genuinely values education. It is a role filled with joy, purpose, and the opportunity to make a lasting difference in the lives of others.
Alongside this joy comes reality. In my eight year of being a principal I have seen this role significantly change. The latest Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey tells a sobering story. 53.2% of principals signal an intention to leave the profession. This is not because they are not passionate about what they do but because what they do is complex.
What do School Leaders Prioritise?
I changed my perspective early in my tenure as principal. I attended every possible school event, believing this demonstrated my commitment to the community. During one particularly busy week, I was present at three evening events while a complex student wellbeing issue remained unresolved. A parent later thanked me for being “so visible and engaged,” not knowing that my presence had meant delaying support for a student. That moment taught me that leadership impact cannot always be visible. Much occurs that goes unseen.
As leaders in schools, we are often challenged with the choice between being visible, seeing our students in action and building connections, a joyful part of the role, while pausing many aspects of the role which compete for our attention on a daily basis. The sheer volume and diversity of the work is the challenge.
Today’s principals function more like a CEO. The role includes building culture, overseeing teaching and learning, appointing and developing staff, student wellbeing, technology advances, overseeing capital developments, navigating educational policy changes, managing community expectations, admissions, compliance and very importantly, finances.
Many hold expectations that the principal should be visible at every event. We also have these expectations of ourselves and want to be at every event, but at what cost to both ourselves, but importantly, to our communities. If we measure the impact on student outcomes, I wonder which one is most important.
This is where our Executive Team model becomes essential. When families have access to an experienced, capable leadership team from whom they can seek assistance and who can lead key aspects of College life, the outcomes can be much greater. It is not about doing less; it is about ensuring the right leader is in the right place at the right time. Trusting others and their ability to lead is key to success.
At Santa Maria, the Executive Team works very collaboratively, supporting each other through challenges and celebrating successes together. This approach aligns with leadership thinking that emphasises moving from command-and-control models to collaborative leadership, where the focus shifts from one person trying to manage everything to stewardship that builds stronger, more sustainable institutions.
The work done by our Executive Team is first-class. They are all capable and passionate leaders who go above and beyond every day in their commitment to our community and in achieving the best outcomes for our staff, students and families.
Our Executive Team Structure at Santa Maria
We have built a leadership team structure where expertise is available where it is needed:
Principal guides the strategic direction of the College whilst working collaboratively with each Executive Team member to ensure cohesive leadership across all areas of school operations.
Deputy Principal – Teaching and Learning oversees curriculum and academic outcomes, working directly with teachers to enhance classroom experiences.
Deputy Principal – Pastoral Care focuses on student wellbeing, ensuring every student feels supported and valued.
Director of Mission ensures our faith and Mercy values guide everything we do, keeping our purpose at the heart of every decision.
Director of Boarding leads our boarding community whilst providing dedicated support for our boarding families, understanding their unique needs.
Director of Corporate Services manages financial and operational oversight, ensuring resources are directed where they make the biggest difference.
Director of Community Relations strengthens connections across our community, overseeing admissions, communications, alumni and parent engagement.
This distributed approach ensures that leadership expertise is matched to specific areas of responsibility, creating a more effective and sustainable model than expecting one person to manage every aspect of school operations. This experienced, tight knit, capable team is part of the reason for our success as a school.
The Power of Community Support
The next time you see one of the Executive Team members at a school event instead of me, understand that this represents thoughtful leadership in action. The best-performing leaders see themselves as stewards working to leave their institutions stronger and more sustainable, and this stewardship mindset guides our Executive Team approach.
Caring for school leaders requires all of us. When parents show trust in difficult decisions, offer encouragement after a challenging week, and model respect for education in front of their children, it makes a profound difference.
Small gestures matter enormously. Consider a parent who acknowledges a difficult but necessary decision, a family who approaches a concern with genuine curiosity rather than criticism, or a community member who simply says “thank you for what you do” after a challenging week.
When school leaders feel supported by their community, it creates a positive cycle. Supported leaders seek feedback, make better decisions, communicate more openly, and create environments where everyone can thrive.
Looking Ahead
I believe we will see the start of a fundamental shift in how schools are led. Schools that embrace shared leadership models will thrive.
The pressure for principals to be visible everywhere will get worse as social media amplifies community expectations. But the smartest schools will resist this pressure and educate their communities about what effective leadership actually looks like.
We will face a serious shortage of people willing to be principals under the traditional model. However, schools offering sustainable, shared leadership will find themselves with strong candidate pools. The principals who succeed will be more like orchestra conductors than solo performers. They will create the conditions for others to shine, rather than trying to be the face of every initiative.
When our leaders thrive, our staff feel empowered, our students flourish, and our Mercy mission comes alive in everything we do.
- Catholic education leadership, Catholic girls’ education Perth, collaborative leadership in schools, community support for principals, Featured, Mercy values in education, principal wellbeing and leadership models, Santa Maria College leadership team, shared school leadership, student wellbeing and leadership, sustainable school leadership
Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
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