Head of Access & Outreach

Access is a strategic priority for St John’s. The College’s commitment to academic excellence underpins this mission : academic talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. Whilst the College, and the wider University have made significant progress on key access metrics - and remain dedicated to yet further progress - the ambitions of St John’s Access and Outreach programmes extend beyond the College and beyond Oxford itself.

At the centre of this work is the suite of Inspire sustained-contact programmes. Delivered in schools, in the College, and online, Inspire programmes reach thousands of pupils at non-selective state schools each year. While many participants do progress to highly selective universities, the programmes provide academic challenge, enrichment and inspiration for any young person who might benefit. All programmes are completely free, and many include additional financial support to ensure that those most disadvantaged can participate fully.

A wider suite of school visits and community partnerships complements this sustained contact work.

The scale, generosity and ambition of this work are unmatched within Oxbridge Colleges. St John’s invests in robust quantitative and qualitative evaluation strategies to demonstrate the programme’s impact and continuously improve. In 2026, it will take an ambitious new step by launching a bespoke virtual learning environment, a massive improvement in the user experience for pupils, teachers, and St John’s staff alike.

The Access and Outreach Office sits at the heart of this mission, coordinating a college-wide effort to address educational inequality, wherever it is found. The ambitions of the St John’s Governing Body are shaped by a Steering Committee comprised of stakeholders from the Governing Body Fellowship, and experienced external advisors.

A summary of our outreach activities and Inspire programmes can be found on the links below :

St John’s College is seeking to appoint a new Head of Access and Outreach to drive bold, innovative approaches to widening participation.

The Head of Access and Outreach will lead and coordinate the College’s established portfolio of widening participation initiatives, whilst driving growth and innovation to ensure St John’s remains at the forefront of Oxford University’s efforts to address educational inequalities.

The successful candidate will have outstanding interpersonal skills, a relentless focus on addressing educational inequality, and an ability to translate this to the delivery of exceptionally high-quality programmes. The postholder will provide strategic leadership and operational management for a team of six permanent staff and a flexible number of student ambassadors, interns and academic staff contributing to the programmes. An ability to set a positive working culture, leading by example and manage multiple projects is essential.

This is a new and strategically important post at the College and is a unique opportunity for candidates. As part of a transitional restructure of the College’s access and outreach functions, key responsibilities previously held by the Fellow for Access and Outreach will be transferred to this role. The postholder will work closely with the Fellow and other senior staff to ensure a smooth handover and continuity of strategic direction.

It is envisaged that this role will eventually report into a senior professional manager in due course, with the Fellow for Access and Outreach providing Governing Body and Committee oversight for this critical area of the College’s strategy.

Strategic Leadership

• Provide overall leadership and direction to the College’s Access and Outreach team
• Ongoing development of our existing in line with College and University objectives for access and participation
• Represent the Access and Outreach Team at the termly Academic Services Committee
• Coordinate the Inspire Steering Group, working closely with the Fellow for Access and Outreach
• Ensure the delivery of a coherent and high‑impact suite of Inspire activities
• Champion new ideas, pilot creative initiatives, and explore opportunities for…