Julie recently retired as Chief Executive and Principal of Thomas Deacon Academy, Peterborough, one of the largest academies in the country with over 2000 pupils aged 7-19, which she has taken from RI to good in her first two years in post. The Thomas Deacon Academy opened in Peterborough in 2007 and was one of the first academies to be created. Three predecessor schools amalgamated into one large academy for 2200 students and a staff of 380 in a building designed by Sir Norman Foster. This is her third headship, having previously been Headteacher at a community school in Fareham and then Principal at an academy in Hampshire. She has worked as a teacher in many parts of the country including Manchester, Rochdale, Oldham, her native South Wales, the Isle of Wight and Bury St Edmunds.

She is passionate about developing student leadership, and about innovative school building design to support use of ICT to drive school improvement. She is the elected Chair of Schools of Tomorrow, a Microsoft Global Partner in Learning, as well as national state school representative on the Executive Board of the Combined Cadet Force Association.