The new principal of a Portadown Primary School has spoken of his excitement at taking on the role, describing the school as a close-knit community with a strong sense of family.
New Richmount Primary School Principal, Neil Johnston said taking on the principalship was a “huge privilege”, but acknowledged the responsibility that comes with leading a school.
What attracted him to Richmount was its strong connection with the local community and the opportunity to get to know pupils, staff and families.
Speaking to Armagh I, Neil said: “It is a close-knit school where people know each other, and there is a real feeling that the school is part of the local community rather than simply sitting within it.
“I felt that Richmount has a wealth of potential and a really strong foundation to build upon, and I was excited by the opportunity to contribute to its next chapter.”
The new principal joins Richmount following a teaching career in a large and busy primary school, where he gained experience across a range of areas of school life.
His previous leadership roles have included curriculum development, school improvement, assessment and digital learning, as well as working with colleagues on shared goals.
He said he had also been fortunate to work alongside “some exceptional leaders and colleagues” who had helped shape his approach to school leadership.
“I think I bring a mixture of classroom experience, leadership understanding and a genuine desire to keep learning and teaching,” said Neil.
His first impressions of Richmount have been positive, particularly the strong sense of belonging among pupils, staff and parents.
He described the school as having a “family orientated, rural feeling”, with a familiarity between the school and the wider community that he said can be difficult to find elsewhere.
The pupils also made a strong impression. “The pupils have been great and very welcoming,” he said. “I have enjoyed getting to know them and finding out more about their interests and personalities.”
He has also been struck by the strength of feeling towards the school and its history. “There is a real history and identity attached to Richmount that should be preserved for generations to come,” he said.
Listening to pupils, staff, parents and the local community has therefore been one of his early priorities.
“I want to understand what people value about the school and what they would like to see developed,” he said.
During his first year, the new principal said his priority would be to properly understand the school and its community rather than attempting to make major changes immediately.
He wants to ensure that strong foundations are in place in key areas such as literacy and numeracy, while continuing to develop the wider curriculum.
Improving communication with parents and the wider community is also high on the agenda, with an emphasis on ensuring people know what is happening in school and feel that they have a voice.
He also wants to continue developing teaching and learning and ensure pupils are being prepared for the future.
“Ultimately, the first year is about gaining understanding and building strong foundations rather than trying to change everything overnight,” he said.
For the new principal, a successful school is one where children feel known, valued and challenged. While academic achievement is important, he believes pupils also need to feel safe, happy and confident enough to take risks and have a go.
Neil wants Richmount to be a school where children enjoy coming to school and staff enjoy coming to work.
“Children learn best when they have positive relationships with the adults around them, and staff work best when they feel trusted and supported,” he said.
His aim is to ensure that the school remains ambitious for every child while retaining the personal and family atmosphere that he believes makes Richmount special.
Among the areas he would like to develop further is digital learning, ensuring the curriculum continues to prepare children for the world in which they are growing up.
He also wants to strengthen the school’s communication and profile within the local community. However, he stressed that any development should have a clear purpose and ultimately improve the experience and outcomes of pupils.
The relationship between the school, parents and the wider community is, he said, “absolutely fundamental”.
“A school doesn’t exist in isolation. It is part of a community, and particularly in a school like Richmount, that relationship is incredibly important,” he said.
He wants parents to feel comfortable approaching the school, confident that their views will be listened to and kept informed about what is happening.
He also hopes the school can make greater use of the people, organisations and expertise within the local community and among its families and partners.
Looking beyond the school gates, he identified technology and the amount of information children encounter from an early age as one of the major challenges facing young people.
He believes schools have an important role to play in helping children navigate that world confidently, responsibly and safely.
At the same time, he said it was important not to lose sight of the fundamentals of education – reading, writing, numeracy, communication, relationships and the ability to think independently.
His hope is that pupils leave Richmount with strong academic foundations as well as confidence, resilience and independence.
Looking five years into the future, the new principal hopes Richmount will be in a strong position and will have continued to develop while retaining the qualities that make it distinctive.
He wants to see strong outcomes for pupils, a positive culture for staff and strong relationships with parents and the wider community.
But when asked what he would like people to say about his time as principal, he said he would not want the focus to be on his personally.
“I’d hope people would say that I put the children first and that I cared about the school and that I worked hard to make it better,” he said.
“Most importantly, I’d want pupils to look back on their time at Richmount and remember it as a happy place where they were known and supported to do their very best.”
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