A RETIRED headteacher from Northwich has spoken of her immense pride and surprise at being recognised in the Queen’s Jubilee Birthday Honours list.
Julie Brandreth spent 13 years as the head of The County High School in Leftwich and is widely acknowledged with transforming its fortunes before her retirement in the summer of 2019.
The 61-year-old spoke to The Guardian after she was awarded an MBE for services to education, admitting how the news had come completely out of the blue.
“It’s an honour, a huge privilege and a massive surprise,” she said.
“I’m accepting it on behalf of the school really and I don’t even know who nominated me.
“It’s such a great school.
“I actually started my career as a newly qualified teacher at a comprehensive in Stockport, where I taught English.
“I’ve taught at a variety of schools since then, until I went to Leftwich in 2006 as headteacher, to what was at the time, seen as a failing school.
“In fact, the school was in danger of being closed.”
Following her appointment, she led and promoted sustainable change within the school, by creating a vision for learning which she shared and promoted among staff, governors, students and parents.
Her decade-long crusade to improve the school was eventually rewarded in 2016 when it was judged ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted in every single category.
“I absolutely loved the community and thought the children were fantastic,” she said.
“We wanted to succeed and were able to recruit some wonderful staff (including current headteacher Matthew Snelson).
“It was as a result of the hard work by everybody connected to the school to get where we did.”
Having led the school through so many positive changes, Julie decided to retire in 2019, but maintains strong links with education as the chair of governors at Barnton Community Primary and Nursery School, as a governor at Sir John Deane’s Sixth Form College and as the vice-chair of governors at Middlewich High School.
“It feels like something to give back having had such a lovely career myself,” she added.
“I absolutely love it.
“There is no greater privilege than working with young people and helping them make their dreams come true.
“That’s what has driven me throughout my career.”
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