‘The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had taught and done.’ (Mark 6:30)

Leadership is appropriately seen as a shared responsibility which requires dialogue, consultation and respect for diversity.  It is at its most effective when it is genuinely collaborative.

This is the theme which runs through the literature on effective leadership.  It finds echoes in some of the terms that have particular currency today: collaborative leadership teams, collaborative learning and collaborative teaching.

It leads us, too, to other defining aspects of Catholic life.

Schools collaborate with each other in the expression of their solidarity.  Schools collaborate with parish communities and with all external agencies which serve the common good of the community.

Most especially, schools collaborate, as far as possible, with parents in developing the shared understandings and expectations that provide a supportive framework for quality learning outcomes.