Bold Leadership in Further Education: Julia Gray on Transforming City of Bristol College
Thu Feb 05 2026
What does it take to transform a college that's struggled for years into a top 20% performer? And how do you build a culture where staff and students genuinely feel they're the most important people in the room?In this episode of The Culture & Leadership Podcast, host Guy Walker returns to his hometown of Bristol to sit down with Julia Gray, Principal & CEO of City of Bristol College. Julia shares her unconventional journey from equine sport science to land-based education, through to leading one of Bristol's most vital institutions through rapid transformation.Julia doesn't hold back about the challenges, starting her CEO role on January 1st and getting an Ofsted call just five working days later. She talks candidly about inherited culture fractures from multiple mergers, staff fatigue from constant change, and the work required to make people proud of where they work again.But this is a story of bold transformation. Julia explains how Bristol College moved from the bottom of national league tables to the top 20%, how they achieved 99% appraisal completion (from chaos), and why their values just happen to spell B.R.I.S.T.O.L.Key topics include:- Why FE is like a "homemade speedboat" (and why that's exciting, not scary)- Building BRISTOL values: Boldness, Respect, Inclusion, Sustainability, Teamwork, Openness, Learning- The power of telling students "you are important" (not special—important)- Transforming appraisal from a dreaded tick-box to 99% completion and genuine engagement- Community Campus Leads: the role that changed everything across four campuses- Why you can't just promote brilliant teachers into leadership without training- Servant-based leadership: removing barriers so people can do their jobs brilliantly- The truth about FE funding and why pay is the one thing every principal would change- Finding your authenticity as a leader (even if you started as "a pretender in the horsey world")- Why place matters more than timeline when choosing your next leadership roleWhether you're an aspiring leader wondering how to progress, a principal navigating multi-site complexity, or anyone who believes young people deserve better than "they're just lazy"—this conversation is for you.00:00 Intro00:03:45 Julia's journey: from equine sport science to FE leadership00:08:20 What keeps Julia in FE after 22 years00:12:30 The "speedboat vs cruise ship" analogy for FE00:16:50 Challenging misconceptions about FE students and ambition00:20:05 The proudest moment: national league tables and what it meant00:24:15 How BRISTOL values came to be (and that happy accident)00:28:45 Making values stick through behaviours, not just words00:32:29 Managing culture across four campuses with different personalities00:36:39 "You are important, not special": what students need to know00:42:33 Appraisal transformation: from chaos to 99% completion00:48:19 Servant-based leadership and building autonomy00:52:18 Management Academy: training aspiring leaders properly00:56:43 Role models: Rachel Hannigan, authenticity, and finding your path00:59:05 Advice for future principals: skills over timeline, and why place matters01:05:09 Recommended books: Michael Porter and getting to root causesdovetailslate.co.uk#educationleadership #collegeculture #furthereducation #bristolcollege #staffwellbeing #studentoutcomes #teacherdevelopment #eduleadership #culturechange #leadershippodcast #appraisals #servantleadership #multiplecampuses #authenticleadership
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What does it take to transform a college that's struggled for years into a top 20% performer? And how do you build a culture where staff and students genuinely feel they're the most important people in the room?In this episode of The Culture & Leadership Podcast, host Guy Walker returns to his hometown of Bristol to sit down with Julia Gray, Principal & CEO of City of Bristol College. Julia shares her unconventional journey from equine sport science to land-based education, through to leading one of Bristol's most vital institutions through rapid transformation.Julia doesn't hold back about the challenges, starting her CEO role on January 1st and getting an Ofsted call just five working days later. She talks candidly about inherited culture fractures from multiple mergers, staff fatigue from constant change, and the work required to make people proud of where they work again.But this is a story of bold transformation. Julia explains how Bristol College moved from the bottom of national league tables to the top 20%, how they achieved 99% appraisal completion (from chaos), and why their values just happen to spell B.R.I.S.T.O.L.Key topics include:- Why FE is like a "homemade speedboat" (and why that's exciting, not scary)- Building BRISTOL values: Boldness, Respect, Inclusion, Sustainability, Teamwork, Openness, Learning- The power of telling students "you are important" (not special—important)- Transforming appraisal from a dreaded tick-box to 99% completion and genuine engagement- Community Campus Leads: the role that changed everything across four campuses- Why you can't just promote brilliant teachers into leadership without training- Servant-based leadership: removing barriers so people can do their jobs brilliantly- The truth about FE funding and why pay is the one thing every principal would change- Finding your authenticity as a leader (even if you started as "a pretender in the horsey world")- Why place matters more than timeline when choosing your next leadership roleWhether you're an aspiring leader wondering how to progress, a principal navigating multi-site complexity, or anyone who believes young people deserve better than "they're just lazy"—this conversation is for you.00:00 Intro00:03:45 Julia's journey: from equine sport science to FE leadership00:08:20 What keeps Julia in FE after 22 years00:12:30 The "speedboat vs cruise ship" analogy for FE00:16:50 Challenging misconceptions about FE students and ambition00:20:05 The proudest moment: national league tables and what it meant00:24:15 How BRISTOL values came to be (and that happy accident)00:28:45 Making values stick through behaviours, not just words00:32:29 Managing culture across four campuses with different personalities00:36:39 "You are important, not special": what students need to know00:42:33 Appraisal transformation: from chaos to 99% completion00:48:19 Servant-based leadership and building autonomy00:52:18 Management Academy: training aspiring leaders properly00:56:43 Role models: Rachel Hannigan, authenticity, and finding your path00:59:05 Advice for future principals: skills over timeline, and why place matters01:05:09 Recommended books: Michael Porter and getting to root causesdovetailslate.co.uk#educationleadership #collegeculture #furthereducation #bristolcollege #staffwellbeing #studentoutcomes #teacherdevelopment #eduleadership #culturechange #leadershippodcast #appraisals #servantleadership #multiplecampuses #authenticleadership