From Jeremy Anderson, Chair of College Council and James Robson, Principal.
Recent articles have raised questions about Oak Hill’s culture. We know that Oak Hill has experienced difficult seasons in recent years, and we are aware of the real pain this has caused for a number of people. We are sincerely saddened by this and remain committed to listening and learning as we move forward.
Last week our priority was listening within our community: we held open-forum meetings with all current staff and students, and offered the same opportunity at our Open Morning on Saturday.
As noted in the articles, where concerns have been raised about a member of staff we follow due process in a way that is fair to all concerned. However, it is not appropriate to comment on individual or private employment matters, given our duty of care and necessary confidentiality.
What we can speak to is the work that has been, and continues to be, done to strengthen and shape our culture. When James Robson began as Principal in October 2023, organisational health was identified as a central priority by the College Council - an area in which he brings significant experience. It was widely recognised that the College had faced difficult and well-publicised challenges, and that these needed to be understood and addressed for us to move forward well. Culture is shaped slowly, and we know we are still in that process, but the steps taken are moving us toward a healthier community.
Since James’ appointment, organisational health has been reported on at every College Council meeting. Over the last two years we have taken a range of actions in response to concerns raised.
Before formally starting, James spent two weeks at the College meeting every staff member, hearing their stories, what they valued, and concerns - many reflecting the difficult season the College had been through.
We reviewed our organisational structure and line-management arrangements, working to ensure all staff are in positions where they, and those around them, can thrive. The Church of England's Periodic External Review in 2022 noted that the role of Vice-Principal for Faculty was unsustainable and recommended changes. We initially introduced Heads of Department for faculty line management, and with the introduction of Common Awards moved to a structure with two Vice-Principals, an Assistant Manager (Teaching and Learning) and a Director of Engagement. We also brought in external support to help us understand ourselves better and provide management training.
We commissioned an independent external review into organisational health one year after James began. It highlighted several reasons for higher staff turnover and identified seven areas requiring attention. These were named as: Council operations, the need for reconciliation and healing in some working relationships, relationships between departments, internal and external communications, giving and receiving feedback, professional working practice, disposition towards others. We have been working on these since we received the report in April 2025. Many have now been addressed; others continue to be tackled. A cross-staff working group was established to strengthen relationships across departments. Encouragingly, the review noted the College was in a “significantly healthier place than it was 18 months ago.”
The College Council has been reviewing its processes and practices for listening to and communicating with all those within college. This has focused on the themes of transparency, feedback loops, assessing issues which are raised, decision-making and communication. These themes were shared with staff during an all staff meeting.
We appointed to the staff Dr Mark Stirling as Programme Director for a new MA in Contemporary Christian Leadership, recognising that good leadership is critical for flourishing Christian communities. With a strong record of addressing power and abuse in the Church, he has also run a book club on the volume he co-edited with Mark Meynell on Power and Leadership in the Church.
We have introduced a number of training sessions and plenaries for staff and students. Examples include open forums reflecting on wider reviews into evangelical culture, training on giving and receiving feedback, and sessions on the dynamics of soft power.
We continue to invite a variety of speakers to chapel from different backgrounds and denominations, with Q&A sessions to reflect on ministry and leadership.
Student representatives continue to meet weekly with James and the Director of Operations and Finance to share feedback, and report directly to the College Council three times a year. We agree collectively with them good steps forward when questions are raised.
We regularly encourage staff to discuss any aspect of College life with their line-manager or any member of the Leadership Team, and to give feedback directly to individuals. James maintains an open-door policy with set weekly times for staff to raise concerns with him, and students are able to arrange to meet with him at any time.
Another important area of work has been the development of our working values, shaped through conversations with staff about the kind of environment we want to cultivate. One of these values is humility, which includes listening carefully and continually seeking to improve.
This includes encouraging a culture where students and staff feel able to raise concerns, including when they relate to those in positions of authority, and where we seek to hold one another lovingly, honestly, and appropriately to account in our conduct and behaviour. We want a culture where we encourage each other to give feedback and raise any concerns, formally or informally, in helpful and appropriate ways. This is part of the journey we are on. Our formal complaints procedures for current and former staff and students are publicly available on our website.
The measures we have put in place, as outlined above, aim towards us being a place where everyone flourishes, including both men and women. This is an ongoing process and one we never want to be complacent about. We, together with the Leadership Team and the Council, remain committed to listening, learning, and making necessary improvements to ensure Oak Hill is a place where staff and students thrive.
We pray for all who have been connected to Oak Hill - those here now and those who have left - asking the Lord to bring wisdom, help, healing, and peace. We continue to depend on His grace as we grow as individuals and as a community, and remain committed to training men and women for gospel ministry with humility and faithfulness, courage and kindness.