Julia Fiehn, an educationist and author who created innovative learning materials used across London and championed citizenship education, has died aged 77.
She worked at the Inner London Education Authority (Ilea), where she developed groundbreaking learning resources. Later, as an industry coordinator, she fostered projects between schools and local businesses.
Julia spent many years at the School Curriculum Industry Partnership (part of the Centre for Education & Industry at the University of Warwick) as regional director for the south. There, she co-authored numerous learning packs, games and simulations sponsored by companies. She also delivered active learning courses in Sweden for teachers and careers counsellors.
Early life and education
Born in Shillingstone, Dorset, to Christine (nee Bartlett) and Denis Pope, a dairy manager, Julia attended Blandford grammar school and studied sociology at Reading University. After working as a researcher for the London School of Economics, she trained as a teacher at Goldsmiths College, London, and joined Starcross school (now Elizabeth Garrett Anderson) in Islington, where she taught sociology from 1973 to 1984.
Career highlights
During a two-year secondment to the University of Oxford, Julia wrote a dissertation on political education that helped her secure the post of advisory teacher for political education at Ilea in 1986. She moved to the School Curriculum Industry Partnership in 1988.
In 2001, Julia was seconded from Warwick to be project manager for the Post-16 Citizenship Development Programme, part of the Learning & Skills Development Agency. She worked with Sir Bernard Crick and led on delivering his and the government's vision for citizenship education in England. She also co-authored a series of citizenship textbooks published by John Murray.
Personal life and community work
Julia married Terry Fiehn in 1970 and had two sons, Jack and Robert. They divorced in 2003 but remained good friends. She married her second husband in 2004.
She enjoyed cooking, walking, birding, reading, theatre, and travel. Between 2004 and 2014, she loved entertaining friends at their villa in Provence. In 2005, she and her husband settled in Twickenham, south-west London, where she volunteered for local community groups including Talking Newspapers, the Pope's Grotto Preservation Trust, and the Strawberry Hill Residents' Association.
She is survived by her husband, her sons Jack and Robert, and seven grandchildren.
