Raymond Friel OBE

Raymond is a seasoned Catholic leader who has made significant impact in a variety of leadership roles in the education and charity sectors for more than 20 years. Alongside a remarkable career, he brings a love for writing and creative collaboration, making him a sought-after speaker and consultant for schools, parishes, charities, and even businesses. Read on to discover more about his journey, his books, and his bespoke talks that aim to inspire and motivate audiences towards the mission of social justice and compassion.

Tailored support for you & your organisation

Speaking

I want to help those who work in Catholic settings to recover their purpose and recover themselves.  

Reflections

Explore articles and reflections to invigorate and inspire your leadership and your faith. 

Coaching

Asking questions to prompt reflection, helping to adapt your thinking and set new goals.

Speaking Themes & Examples

Inspire and re-energise your team

The Catholic Life and Mission of the School

With the new Catholic Schools Inspection framework there is a renewed focus on the Catholic life and mission of the school. What is our purpose, what is the ‘why’ of Catholic schools.

Resourcing and sustaining the mission

With higher levels of burn out and exhaustion in the education and charity sector, it is essential to find space to step back and breathe, and visit the wells of emotional and spiritual nourishment.

Gospel-inspired servant leadership


Explore the concept of servant leadership inspired by the Gospels while drawing on the wisdom of other leadership models, especially adaptive leadership.

Endorsements for speaking

  • “Thank you, Raymond, for leading our wonderful retreat in the beautiful setting of Ampleforth. Truly inspirational!” 

    Barbara Reilly O’Donnell, Director of Ethos, Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Educational Trust 

  • "Raymond’s material is current and well-researched, often to a depth where others fear to tread, but always bringing us home to the Gospel so we know we are being fed from the source."

    Karen Foong, Chair of the National Conference of Ongoing Formation Directors for Clergy in England & Wales (CBCEW)

  • “Raymond’s input to Master’s level students in Christian Leadership in Education was both inspiring and challenging. I highly recommend his work.“ 

    Rev Eamonn Conway, Professor of Integral Human Development, Notre Dame University, Australia

  • “Many thanks for giving up your time and energy to speak today. What you said was fantastic and will inspire our schools.”

    Claire O’Neill, Adviser for Catholic Education, Westminster Diocese

Reflections & Articles

Reflections & articles to ignite the mind and inspire the heart

Gospel-inspired servant leadership in a Catholic school setting

In this chapter I pick up on the theme of ‘servant leadership’ which has its origins in the leadership writings of Greanleaf.

Read more

Book review: A Revolution Betrayed: How Egalitarians Wrecked the British Education System.

In April 2002, I took up my post as the headteacher of a Catholic secondary modern school in a leafy English city.

Read more

The Social Mission of the Church in a (post-) Covid society

I’d like to begin with some remarks on what strikes me about the Common Good (1996) document, having come back to it after many years.

Read more

See, Act, Judge

A proposal to adopt the pastoral cycle promoted at Vatican II as a basis for a distinctively Catholic pedagogy in school and the basis for lifelong formation in the faith.

Read more

Mentoring & Coaching

Finding a path that works for you

When I started in headship twenty years ago I wish I’d had a professional coach, someone who offered a safe space for me to offload and to help me to develop a better mindset for dealing with some of the tougher aspects of leadership. 

Every headteacher, senior leader and CEO I speak to all say that they would love to have that kind of coaching, especially from someone who has been there and knows what it’s like. 

If you are interested in learning more, do get in touch.

Books & Reviews

Explore Raymond’s inspiring books on Catholic leadership, prayer and spirituality 

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  • Catholic Social Teaching: "Raymond has provided us with a valuable resource for Catholic Social Teaching. He shows that CST is an integral part of the gospel and not something that is an add on to the life and mission of the Church... I recommend this book to schools, parishes and charities."

    Declan Lang, Bishop of Clifton

  • Formation of the Heart: “Raymond Friel draws us into the joyful adventure of faith, showing how God’s revelation changes our horizons and transforms our world. Brilliantly readable, drawing on the best scholarship, yet always accessible and personal.” 

    Austen Ivereigh, biographer of Pope Francis and Fellow of Campion Hall, Oxford

  • At Your Side: “This beautiful collection of prayers gives us just the right words to soothe and uplift the soul in every situation and helps us to find God in each moment of our daily life. This is a book of prayers to use again and again.” 

    Dame Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England

  • How to Survive in Leadership in a Catholic School: “To be a good Catholic headteacher means to do theology on your feet, to walk the God talk. This book clearly describes both the demands and the rewards of the journey.”

    Fr Christopher Jamison OSB, Abbot President of the English Benedictine Congregation.

  • Gospel Values for Catholic Schools: “A serious contender to be a prescribed textbook in the formation of Catholic teachers and, most certainly, for those in or aspiring to be leaders of our schools.”

    Willie Slavin, former headteacher

  • How to Survive Working in a Catholic School: “By helping them to understand that each person, young or old, is a child of God and precious in his sight, this excellent book will help priests, governors, teachers and parents to understand their role in supporting our Catholic schools and their mission.”

    Malcolm McMahon OP, Archbishop of Liverpool 

  • Gospel Values for Catholic Schools: “It is a brilliant piece of focused professional scholarship. It brings together great clarity on the subject of Gospel Values, supported by in-depth biblical and theological knowledge and creative, practical suggestions for translating ideas into gospel reality in our schools.”

    Professor Gerald Grace, St Mary's University