Local Faces: Stephen Brett

IF YOU do something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.’ Confucius said that. Either him or some equally brainy chap like Isaac Asimov or Brian Clough did anyway, writes Ken Doyle.

The point is, nobody you could meet embodies that phrase more than the endlessly enthusiastic and committed Principal of Lucan Community School Stephen Brett.

Stephen was kind enough to agree to be this week’s ‘Faces of the Community’ star and take it from me, the man is truly obsessed with his job and the well-being of the 970 pupils and 100ish staff on the school’s books.

He’s a dynamic and progressive figure and, as he will never tire of telling you, he’s just a part of the team.

The youngest of four children born to Mary and Ivo Brett, Stephen grew up in Blanchardstown with sister Fiona and brothers John and Ivo junior.

Ivo is an unusual name and Stephen puts it down to an Eastern European ancestor somewhere down the line.

Forgive the digression but your correspondent believes it to be a very cool moniker and if I was still in the children-having business I’d strongly consider it for my own issue.

Educated at Coolmine College, Stephen recalls his career path first appearing to him in those halls.

“My favourite classes at school were always PE and Geography and my teachers in those subjects, Mr Des Rogers and Mr Cyril Langran respectively were so engaging and breathed such life into the subjects that they were really inspiring.

‘In fact I remember at the end of one school year I was running for the school at an athletics meeting in Tullamore when the subject of how we were all going to spend the summer.

‘Mr Rogers joined in and told us he was going to spend the following three months doing a bit of hiking and a bit of travelling and I thought I fancy a bit of that as a career, and I never really aspired to be anything but a teacher from then on.”

So, with his mind set on a career in teaching, Stephen set about making it a reality.

“I studied at Bedford College of Physical Education in England and absolutely loved it.

‘I graduated in 1998 in Phys. Ed and Geography and upon doing so, took on a position as a PE teacher with a school in Birmingham.

‘The school was located in a fairly down-at-heel catchment area and there were a lot of socio-economic problems the people I dealt with had to face before they came to school but I think that it was a great place for me to learn to think on my feet and develop strategies and solutions for kids who needed them.

‘Put it this way, when I came home two years later I felt ready for anything.”

So it was that some 26 years ago, Stephen applied for, and got a job as a PE and Geography teacher at Lucan Community School, and a love affair with the place started.

“I settled in straight away and it just felt right for me for some reason.

‘I’ve always had the same approach to teaching which is to get the kids to find joy in learning and give them all of the tools necessary to reach their true potential.

‘Obviously everyone has different strengths and weaknesses and I always want to capitalise on those strengths as much as possible.

‘I get as much of a buzz from a former pupil doing well having done an apprenticeship as I do from one of our own getting a First in Classics at Trinity.”

As the years went on, Stephen climbed the ladder in the school, becoming Subject Co-ordinator for English and Geography in the School, then onto becoming a Deputy Head.

Then came the big one, just last year, white smoke rose from the Lucan chimney and Stephen was given the position Principal of the school.

Lesser men might let such an honour go to their heads, if anything, it made Stephen even more modest!

“I try to be as visible as possible around the place.

‘As a team, the staff try and engineer an atmosphere where the students know we are there for them and we are approachable at all times.

‘We don’t want to be figures of fear, we want to be the standard setters for a genuinely welcoming, inclusive and supportive space for the students to achieve their goals, whatever they may be.”

“As I said before, I’m just a cog on a wheel and it takes a very big team of teachers and auxiliary staff to make the place run effectively.

‘I’m extremely lucky in that respect because I’m surrounded by wonderful colleagues.

‘I also want to be there for them when I’m needed and I hope I manage to be that trusted colleague to them too.”

We all have our favourite words. Mine, for example, is cinnamon. I can’t say the word without giggling like a little kid.

Stephen’s is somewhat different. His is ‘Neuroplasticity’ which the internet tells me means the brain’s lifelong ability to reorganise its structure, functions, and neural connections in response to learning, experience, or injury.

It enables the brain to form new pathways, strengthen existing ones, and prune unnecessary ones.

It’s a concept Stephen believes in utterly and I guess that’s one reason he’s Principal of a large Secondary School and I’m a third rate hack with a mediocre Leaving Cert.

On the odd occasion, Stephen does manage to tear himself away from his beloved school, he has a very happy home life.

He’s been married to the saintly Ruth for 18 years and together they have two children, Mia who is 17 and was National U17 Indoor Champion in the 400m last year!

Then there’s 13 year old Noah, who is a very promising karate practitioner.

His son and daughter didn’t lick their athletic abilities off a brick either as Stephen is a lifelong runner and athlete.

He still runs competitively now in the Masters category and is a proud member of Metro St Brigid’s Athletics Club.

Stephen, of course gets the last word. “Once again, I love my job and wouldn’t want to be doing anything else in the world.

‘I’m immensely proud of the work we do and Lucan Community College is proud to be part of our patron DDLETB’S 31 second-level community colleges serving over 20,000 students across the county.

With the first phase of a rebuild and refurbishment at the school due to open in September ’26, Stephen looks to have plenty on the docket for the foreseeable future.

‘We wish him all the luck and success in the world with it.