New principal connecting to core beliefs
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Shannon Correll is venturing into new territory as she leads Catholic Education SA’s special schools at a time of change and expansion.
Recently appointed principal of Catholic Special Schools following the amalgamation of St Patrick’s and Our Lady of La Vang, Shannon (pictured) will oversee the two campuses as they embark on redevelopment projects.
She will also have responsibility for the development of a new site, yet to be finalised, to meet the strong demand for a Catholic education for students with significant intellectual disability and complex needs.
The amalgamation of the special schools at Dulwich and Flinders Park follows the transfer of functions, assets, and employees of Catholic Special Schools Incorporated to Catholic Church Endowment Society Incorporated.
While Shannon’s extensive leadership experience in Catholic primary schools has been in mainstream education, most recently as principal of St Brigid’s School at Kilburn, she is passionate about inclusive learning.
“It is who we are, it is our Catholic social teaching,” she said.
“That’s my calling, to be able to support those who need us the most.
“I also feel humbly rewarded, I experience great enjoyment spending time with the students, chatting with their families, learning more about them, hearing their stories, their worries and thinking about ways that we can walk beside them.”
Shannon was educated at Kildare College and her faith was formed by her parents and her involvement in Antioch at Modbury.
She studied teaching at the University of South Australia, Magill Campus, and then travelled to London where she spent three years in public schools in the East End.
Moving back to Adelaide she taught at St Joseph’s Hectorville and followed her calling by studying a Master’s in Special Education at Flinders University. At Catherine McAuley School she took on the role of Inclusive Education coordinator as well as classroom teacher.
Her first leadership position was deputy principal of St Gabriel’s Enfield, and she held several acting principal positions until 2020 when she was appointed principal of St Brigid’s.
A term as a School Performance Leader in the Catholic Education Office in 2023, which involved working across the central region schools and colleges, supported her decision to follow her passion and apply for the Catholic Special Schools principalship.
“It reinforced my decision to take on the next challenge,” she said.
Married to Mark and the mother of two teenage girls, Amelia and Eloise, Shannon also holds a Master’s in Catholic Education. Recently she had an opportunity to deepen her faith journey and her understanding of Catholic Identity in schools by attending a 16-day course on Enhancing Catholic School Identity at the University of Leuven in Belgium.
“This experience brought not only a closer connection to my faith, but also allowed me to go back to a school where only six per cent are Catholic (St Brigid’s) and be really proud of what we’ve done to enhance the Catholic identity within the school community,” she said.
“It’s about bringing those experiences into this new area.”
Shannon said the current principals of Our Lady of La Vang and St Patrick’s, Stephanie Grant and Cathy Sires, would continue the daily running of the special schools.
Since taking on the new role in July, Shannon’s focus has been on looking at the cultural alignment of the schools, building relationships and meeting with staff and families.
“The response has been very positive, the staff are really excited about what Catholic Special Schools will be able to provide for the most vulnerable in the community,” she said.
Her initial impression of the R-12 schools, which have a combined enrolment of 124, is that they are “both beautiful schools with beautiful students” and staff members are doing “incredible work to support the learning and the wellbeing of our students”.
“It’s a real multidisciplinary approach to supporting the students academically and spiritually.”
Shannon said when she hears parents talk about finally having a place where their children belong, it deeply connects with her core beliefs.
“One mum described it as ‘we found our home’,” she said.
“It speaks volumes for the environment that both Stephanie, Cathy and their teams have created.”
Shannon said she hopes to build upon the collective wisdom and expertise already present in the special schools, driving excellence that establishes Catholic Education SA as the prime leader in special education throughout Australia in learning, wellbeing and inclusion.
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