Kent College Pembury, one of the leading independent senior schools for girls in the county, welcomes Julie Lodrick as its new headmistress in January. We found out more about the former professional singer and her new role
What are you most looking forward to about joining Kent College?
Getting to know the girls, parents and staff and being a part of the rich and varied life at Kent College. The school is in a beautiful part of Kent and I look forward to getting to know the area and the local community in and around Tun-bridge Wells.
What are your favourite ways to relax?
I practise the piano when I can and recently I resumed singing lessons and gave my first public recital since I stopped singing professionally.
I enjoy running because it gives me time to think and listen to music so I start most days by going out for a run. In 2008 I ran for JET in the London Marathon and in 2013 and 2014, I ran in the first two York marathons. Family time with my step-children is extremely precious and as a family we enjoy mountain biking, camping and outdoor pursuits.
What is your vision for Kent College?
My vision is that the girls of Kent College finish their education with a ‘critical consciousness’ of the world around them and are encouraged to seek to improve the lives of others. Kent College Pembury, affectionately known as KC, is already a happy, thriving girls’ day and boarding school, where the Methodist ethos is tangible and I will continue to foster this atmosphere. I would like the school to continue to provide a liberating and adventurous education for its pupils. Kent College enjoys a strong local profile as a leading girls’ school and I look forward to promoting the school even further afield. With the exciting news that the school has the go-ahead to install an all-weather sports pitch next year, it is important that KC continues to be equipped with modern and up to date facilities to support the girls’ learning and personal development.
Academic standards are high and with the academic staff, I will continue to ensure that Kent College delivers the very highest level of education that is fully rounded, balanced and enables the girls to achieve their potential. It is wonderful that there are outstanding opportunities for enrich-ment and success in the sports and the arts at KC, which help to prepare the girls for a fulfilling and culturally diverse life. I think it is important that the school continues to offer as broad an experience as possible to enable the girls to aim high and fulfil their dreams and ambitions.
What or who are you inspired by?
When I was at school, I remember going to see Evelyn Glennie give a performance and as a keen young musician, I was fascinated to see her play having been told that she is profoundly deaf. She played a whole host of percussion instruments in her bare feet and spoke with quiet confidence. Her courage and determination to achieve her dreams and ambitions against the odds was a great inspiration to me then, and still is.
If you weren’t a headmistress what other career would you have liked?
Apart from being a musician, I did consider following my father’s footsteps into the Royal Navy. I would have loved to travel and see the world from a different perspective.
What do you feel is your greatest achievement so far?
Being appointed as the next headmistress of Kent College is most definitely my greatest achievement to date. I was thrilled and excited to receive the phone call and I am really looking forward to moving to our new home at the school in January. Running my third marathon last October and achieving my personal best time of 3 hours 52 minutes is also a recent highlight.
