Julian studied law at Exeter University and qualified as a barrister in 1996. After a year working as a crown prosecutor, he completed a PGCE at Anglia Ruskin University and began teaching. He has taught in five state schools in three local authorities. At Chelmsford County High he was deputy headteacher when the school was graded outstanding by Ofsted and gained the highest GCSE results in England in the January league tables. He was headteacher and then executive headteacher at Frances Bardsley Academy, a good school with outstanding features, for 12 years. Julian is the founding CEO of LIFE Education. He holds a first class honours degree in English, a masters in educational leadership, an MBA and the NPQH and is currently a doctoral student. He is a past president of the Association of State Girls Schools, has chaired the cross phase Havering Education Strategic Partnership, chairs the Havering Festival of Education and writes for the National Education Trust. In July 2021 he joined the Board of the National Coalition of Girls School in the United States which subsequently merged with the ASGS and then their counterpart in Australia to form the International Coalition of Girls Schools with over 550 member schools worldwide. Julian facilitates NPQEL conferences and clinics for Ambition Institute and leads ASCL's Executive Leader training. Julian is Chair of the Epping Forest Trussell Trust Foodbank Board.