Speaker Biography

Julie Arliss is a globally recognised educator, speaker, and founder of Academy Learning. She delivers academic events and digital learning platforms that challenge and inspire students, teachers, and school leaders across the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Her work spans Religious Studies, Philosophy, Ethics, and gifted education.

Julie is a Farmington Scholar at Harris Manchester College, Oxford, and former A Level teacher at King’s College Taunton. She is the founder of Academy Learning, which encompasses several initiatives including EthIQa (A Level RS resources), Thriving Minds (courses for gifted students and teachers), Philosothon UK (philosophical inquiry events), and Leading from the Front (leadership development for educators).

Her extensive collaborations include work with the University of Oxford’s Ian Ramsey Centre and McDonald Centre, where she successfully project managed the externally funded initiatives Accelerating Insight and Philosothon Expansion. She also supported major research projects such as New Horizons for Science and Religion in Central and Eastern Europe and Humanities and Healthcare.

Julie regularly partners with leading universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Liverpool Hope, and Aberdeen, and has shared the platform with notable public intellectuals such as Alister McGrath, Raymond Tallis, and Stephen Law. Her closest collaborator is Dr Andrew Pinsent, a former CERN physicist and Catholic priest.

As Chair of the Independent Schools Religious Studies Association (ISRSA) and executive member of the Religious Education Network (REN), Julie is a key voice in the ongoing development of Religious Education in the UK.

Her events attract thousands annually, and her ability to make complex ideas both engaging and accessible is highly valued by students, teachers, and leaders alike. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, she pivoted quickly to digital delivery, launching EthIQa and Thriving Minds as world-class blended learning platforms.

Julie’s work is marked not just by academic depth but by lived experience. As a single mother to three daughters, she brings resilience, clarity, and prioritisation to all that she does. Her mission remains simple: to help others think deeply, lead wisely, and live intelligently.