Read with Julia

Online Teaching in Alternative Provision

I am currently working for an Alternative Provision agency on a zero hour contract. I teach children and young people who are unable to manage the demands of mainstream schools.

Most of the sessions are online, some of the children and young people have received funding from their local authority for 5 hours of online teaching, Monday to Friday. My assignments have included supporting a teenage student with funding for online provision for 5 hours a day, 5 days a week. There are challenges, but I am determined to do what I can.

The Legacy of ‘Owl Babies’

‘Owl Babies’ by Martin Waddell and Patrick Benson

Let reading come alive in 2025!

Five years ago, I opened this website driven by my desire to:

Take off anxiety,

Take off stress,

Take off pressure,

Relax into reading,

Bond through books.

As we enter 2025, my desire to bring families and communities together through shared reading is as strong as ever. I’m still on a quest for clarity of direction. I’m still seeking a future where young and old bond through books, where relationships are strengthened through shared reading, where obstacles to literacy are removed, and where reading becomes irresistible.

Make do and mend

I’ve loved these boots and I’ve worn them to all of my face-to-face interviews in 2024. They are held together with gaffer tape and gorilla glue. I used a black sharpie and shoe polish to disguise my repairs. My make-do-and-mend efforts gave me a sense of satisfaction I haven’t yet achieved in my job search…

Thank you, Gareth!

This signed photo of Gareth Southgate once held pride of place above my granny’s tele.

BookTrust and Waterstones New Children’s Laureate for 2024-2026: Frank Cottrell-Boyce

It’s been an exciting week: Frank Cottrell-Boyce was appointed as the new Waterstones Children’s Laureate on Tuesday, followed by a new UK government and a new MP for North Herefordshire on Thursday! These changes feel like a breath of fresh air from where I’m standing.

Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2024-2026

Has learning to read in 2024 become a chore and a bore?

Saturday 29th June marked the end of my ‘Read with Julia’ pilot project at Ledbury Community Hub. If you look at the numbers, it wasn’t a rip-roaring success – but it’s given me plenty of food for thought…

Shared Reading at Ledbury Community Hub

In April, I visited Ledbury Community Hub for a pot of peppermint tea and I met Nic, the hub leader. We talked about his vision for the hub, opportunities for me as a volunteer… and he kindly offered me use of the space for four, free, drop-in reading sessions for local children and families.

My elevator pitch

Last week, I spent 9 hours on a business bootcamp. The online meetings were held on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, from 6 – 9 pm. One of the PowerPoint slides told us what to include in an elevator pitch…

Can we banish burnout?

Stupid question? Maybe…

I’m sharing my story in the hope it helps others. Here are 3 lessons I learned the hard way.