Julian Appleyard OBE
CEO, Pontefract Academies Trust
Julian Appleyard OBE is the CEO of Pontefract Academies Trust, a nine-school cross-phase multi-academy trust in West Yorkshire. He has been CEO of the trust since March 2018. Before taking up the appointment in Pontefract, he was the Executive Principal of Rochdale Sixth Form College and founding CEO of The Altus Education Partnership. Julian began his teaching career in 1997 and has worked in various senior leadership roles in the secondary and sixth-form college sectors. Julian was a DfE headteacher board member for Lancashire and West Yorkshire before the new region’s structure came into play. A National Leader of Education for many years, Julian is a member of The Exchange Partnership Committee, overseen by Delta Academies Trust which incorporates the exchange ITT provision, teaching school hub and research school. He was awarded an OBE for services to education in 2016.