For Kevin Mackay, former principal of Dandenong North Primary School and now an educational consultant at Emerson School, embedding a positive culture is one of the most important leadership initiatives that allows a school to thrive.
He takes the concept even further, stating that whilst structures can be put in place to keep things culturally consistent, a school leader must embed values that others in the school also recognise as important.
“At Emerson it is all about the people,” Kevin says. “The needs and wellbeing of students and staff are the priority, with the culture keyed to unlocking the potential of every student. Everything at Emerson School is centred around that cornerstone.”
Kevin references research that shows the longevity of a school principal has a significant positive impact on the reputation and performance of the school, a fact that is closely aligned with the opportunity to embed, and then maintain, a specific culture.
“The work done by John Mooney, Emerson’s school principal for more than 28 years, showcases the importance of being able to fully embed Emerson’s vision of unlocking students’ potential.”
Kevin readily admits that culture can lose potency when new staff and families enter or exit the environment.
“Newcomers may not recognise the core of the school as hailing from that cornerstone, and without constant renewal, the culture of a place can naturally start to drift,” he says. “The consistency of the message over a period of time is vital.”
In his time as principal of Dandenong North Primary School, Kevin oversaw the implementation of an award-winning “Self-Esteem program” based on what he calls “the four Cs”, to instil a culture based on care, courtesy, cooperation and common sense.
The program uses the principle of positive reinforcement, a model he first implemented while working for four years as head of the Langi Kal Kal Youth Training Centre.
“In my time at Langi Kal Kal it became clear that the use of positive reinforcement helped change youth behaviours for the better,” he says.
“Since then, I’ve found that students who experience constructive, incentive-based praise usually show a greater willingness to demonstrate further examples of positive behaviours.”
The four Cs in Kevin’s program include:
- Care: considering the needs of others to be at least as important as your own.
- Courtesy: being respectful, taking turns and listening to understand.
- Cooperation: working cheerfully and collaboratively with those around you.
- Common sense: assessing risks and possible consequences before you act.
Kevin has always had a love of the special education setting, having taught earlier in his career in a remedial centre, albeit within a mainstream school, for children with intellectual disabilities.
“I firmly believe there is an important place for specialist schools such as Emerson,” he says.
“For special education to be offered only in mainstream schools, teachers would have to run a raft of different programs and constantly manage behaviour, which would be detrimental to all. Emerson School provides a highly tailored environment and facilities, specialist staff, and ultimately, an effective culture to bring out the best in every student.”
[interviewed May 2026]
Photo in this article supplied by Kevin Mackay
