‘Look Back in Anger’—Catholic School Leadership and the Peace-Making Tradition

An examination of the Catholic school leaderCatholic school leaders as peacemaker became apposite as Catholic schools, specifically in EnglandEngland, began to understand the impact of Lockdown on families themselves, during 2019–2020, and, specifically, their relationship with schools and their staff. Drawing on the Church’s teaching in addition to the author’s role as a Catholic school leader, this chapter first seeks to identify the role of the peacemaker within the Church’s tradition, locating the importance of what may be designated a long-term investment in relationships, as against a reliance on (merely) preventative policies and procedures. Next, both existing research as well as that undertaken for this chapter will point to the positive correlation between heightened frustration/hostility and (a) socio-economic deprivation, (b) poor housing, (c) loss of employment, and (d) poor mental health. Finally, how he experience of Catholic school leadersCatholic school leaders, as well as their efforts to engage parents and carers in the long term, has cross-referred to the peace-makingPeace making tradition, are considered, demonstrating a degree of efficacy over and beyond the narrower, more arid, avoidance of hostility.