In his first week as principal of St Edmund's College, James Keeley was pleased to see a new pedestrian crossing with traffic lights to help students cross one of Canberra's busiest roads.
The crossing on Canberra Avenue near Burke Crescent in Griffith was built in the wake of a serious incident where two St Edmund's students were injured in a hit-and-run collision.
While the crossing was a welcome measure, Mr Keeley said it did not go far enough to ensure students' safety.
"The next obvious thing after seeing how well the road has handled a 40kmh speed limit during the construction of the crossing, we feel that really a school zone out the front of our school would be a fantastic thing not only for us but also for the community at St Clare's," Mr Keeley said.
Former principal Joe Zavone pushed for a school zone as early as 2020. Six years and two principals later there is still no school zone on the road with a 60kmh speed limit.
"Ultimately, we don't feel that it completely addresses the safety concerns of the surrounding area, considering that it's close to 2000 students that commute to and from school every single day between St Edmund's and St Clare's in our area," Mr Keeley
"We do feel obviously a reduction in the speed limit on that road could be a great next addition."
Mr Keeley said he has had a warm welcome from students and staff as he has returned to the college where he attended as a student from year four to 12.
"The last couple of days, I've been energised and excited. It gives me a great sense of pride to be back at a school that gave me so much as a young student when I went through here, and also as a staff member," he said.
"A lot of [the students] have come up and said, 'you went to school with my uncle' or whatever it might be, and it's been a really lovely touch to be honest."
After graduating in 2001, Mr Keeley joined the school maintenance department.
"My first year out of school, I am humble enough to say that I cleaned the toilets here of a morning, even though that didn't last too long. I wouldn't say I was the best employee at cleaning the toilets. It wasn't my calling in life."
He worked at St Edmund's as a science teacher and a head of house from 2008 to 2016.
He got advice as an aspiring leader that he would need to get experience in another school setting if he wanted to lead the college one day.
It led to his stint as deputy principal at Daramalan College from 2017.
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Former St Edmund's principal Tim Cleary left suddenly at the beginning of this year after one year in the role due to family and personal reasons.
Mr Keeley said he has made it clear he intends to lead the school for the next 10 years.
"The reason I left nine and a half years ago was actually to return one day as the principal.
"I think Tim's done a fantastic job in terms of galvanising the community, as somebody who worked here himself in previous years, but I'm really excited to give the school stability over the long-term."
The independent boys school has grown its enrolments since numbers dropped to 717 students in 2021. The latest school census data showed the college had 1033 students in 2026, about a 40 per cent increase in the past five years.
Mr Keeley said he wanted to continue to grow enrolments and ensure there was more consistency across the year levels.
"I still feel there is a high demand for single-sex education, and St Edmund's is a key player in making sure that there's that opportunity long into the future."
