Julia Sandiford-Mitchell

Chief Education Officer (Primary and Early Years)

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 twenty-two 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.