50 years at the top: Larry Keating's life of leadership

College leaders Mia Egan and Ben Dezelak said Larry Keating (middle) "always puts his students and staff in front of him" and reminded them all to "never see a need without doing something about it". Picture by Simone De Peak

PRINCIPAL Larry Keating has prioritised one thing above all others in the 50 years he has spent at schools across the Hunter.

"My mantra with staff is relationships before curriculum, before everything else, you have to get to know your students as people to get to know them then as learners," said Mr Keating, principal of St Mary's Catholic College Gateshead since 2004.