speaker-photo

Julia Sandiford-Mitchell

Head of Primary and Early Years, Altus Education Partnership
For more than thirty years, Julia has devoted her working life to one simple purpose: helping children flourish. Almost her entire career has been spent in Rochdale, where she has taught generations of young people and worked alongside colleagues, families, and communities to build schools in which every child can belong, achieve and thrive. She began teaching in 1992 and went on to lead two schools as headteacher over 22 years, creating cultures where high expectations and genuine inclusion went hand in hand. Alongside her headship roles, Julia has served as a specialist leader of education, a school improvement officer for the Local Authority and an executive headteacher. She is widely respected for her thoughtful judgement, her calm and collaborative leadership, and her ability to help schools make lasting improvements without ever losing sight of the children at the heart of the work. At Altus, Julia brings not only deep expertise, but a lifetime of experience rooted in the classrooms and communities she has served. She is an inspirational teacher and leader whose unwavering belief in inclusion has shaped every stage of her career. Her focus is ensuring that everything Altus develops reflects the realities of school life and genuinely supports leaders, teachers and pupils in the moments that matter.
Executive Room 1

1 Breakout sessions: Series one

Enrichment in practice: Curriculum and community approaches

This case study session explores two approaches to enrichment, and the role trusts can play in widening participation and opportunity. Leaders from Ormiston Academies Trust will share how a trust-wide commitment to guaranteed enrichment and a timetabled programme have helped improve engagement and attendance. Leaders from Altus Education Partnership will discuss how the Children's University, REACH, alumni networks, employer partnerships and community programmes are helping connect young people to experiences, aspirations and opportunities beyond the school gate. We will explore how these models were designed and implemented, the impact achieved, and the lessons learned for trusts looking to strengthen their own enrichment offer. Ideal for CEOs, directors of education and those responsible for personal development.