This case explores the creation of a Catholic primary school in Melbourne, Australia; Patron Saint Catholic Primary School (PSCPS). The founding principal has led the creation of a recontextualised Catholic primary school over a ten-year period. This is the principal’s second principalship, having previously served for six years in a more challenging inner-city Catholic primary school. The study draws upon individual interviews with the principal (three interviews), Parish Priest, Religious Education Leader, Deputy Principal, level leaders (year 5-6, year 3-4, foundation to year 2 (two leaders) and two specialist leaders), six teachers, two group interviews each with four parents and two group interviews each with four students from years 5/6, observation of the life of the school, document analysis and a teacher survey. The case shows: • How the prinicpal’s background, education, personal philosophy and personal dispositions and characteristics that helped form his identity as a leader. • The development of the school was framed by the principal’s pedagogical leadership of 21st Century Learning and the underpinning of the school by establishing a sustainable professional learning community and a creation of a contemporary Catholic school environment with a religious identity for the school. • The principal’s ability to build the capacity of teachers and lead in and from the middle highlighted the distributive approach to his leadership. • The principal was able to navigate the various levels of context and meet and overcome the internal and external challenges. His approach and decision making were firmly based on evidence-based research. We conclude by showing how his leadership maps onto a model of successful school leadership developed from previous ISSPP cases.

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