How does the Coaching Programme work?

Information sessions

To participate, you must attend one of the information sessions held at the start of the academic year. Register for the hybrid information session at 17:30 on 6 November.

If you can’t attend this, you can an alternative online-only session on 12 November (this will cover the same content, so you don’t need to attend both). Register for the online information session at 12:00 on 12 November

At the information session, Lead Coach Kirsten Jellard will tell you about coaching: what to expect, what is expected of you, and how to apply. She’ll also lead an interactive coaching exercise so you can get a sense of how well coaching methods will work for you. You can then make an informed decision about whether to apply.

Application

After these sessions, you’ll be sent an application form. This usually takes between fifteen and thirty minutes to complete, although if you wish it can be useful to spend longer on this process, to give yourself some time to reflect on what you’d like to achieve. The closing date for 2025-26 applications is Monday 17 November. We will contact you as soon as possible after this date, to tell you know if your application has succeeded.

Contact your coach

If you’ve been accepted, you’ll be told the name and contact details of your coach. You should contact your coach (they’ll be expecting to hear from you!) to set up your first meeting before the end of Michaelmas term.

Meet your coach

When, where and how you meet for coaching will be up to you and your coach to negotiate (some coaches can only meet online, others may offer one or more in-person meetings. We’ll try to match you to a coach who fits your preferences). Small meeting rooms in college can be booked online. Most people have 3-5 coaching meetings across the academic year.

Dinner and evaluations

In the summer, at the end of the programme, you’ll be invited to a celebratory college dinner to thank your coach and meet other people from the Coaching Programme. You’ll also be asked to complete an evaluation of your experience, to help us continue to run and improve the programme for future students. This evaluation is a compulsory part of your participation in coaching.

More questions? Check the FAQs or email ruth.scobie@gtc.ox.ac.uk for more information.