St John’s College Launches New Inspire Hub
St John’s College has launched the Inspire Hub, an innovative new digital platform combining interactive learning, academic enrichment and study skills development in one accessible, easy-to-use platform for young people.
The Inspire Hub is the next step in the College’s vision for access, bringing together our existing sustained contact programmes for Year 9 upwards on one platform. The Hub’s tailored, flexible learner journeys ensure that students can continue to access Inspire's high-quality resources to enhance their in-school learning, but at a time that suits them, fitting around their studies and other commitments.
The Hub has also transformed our Inspire Critical Thinking programme into a more interactive experience where students can test their knowledge, watch videos and enter competitions on topics designed to deepen engagement beyond the classroom.
More than simply a digital learning platform, the Hub is designed to support students’ long term educational journey. By bringing all the virtual elements of our programme together onto one, user-friendly platform, the College hopes to provide a more sustained and meaningful experience for students over their time at secondary school—building confidence, knowledge and aspiration for their next steps and beyond.
In the months since its launch, the platform has already demonstrated its potential: nearly 1,700 students and 60 teachers have joined, engaging with over 2,000 learning activities. This strong early uptake suggests a clear appetite for accessible, high-quality academic enrichment beyond the classroom. There has also been positive feedback directly from students using the platform.
" My most enjoyable experience involved looking into open questions that do not have only one true answer. It was fun for me to explore various perspectives, test my assumptions, and look deeper into how one's opinions and beliefs could evolve over time. This helped me learn about how an argument is built and what kinds of evidence are used in support of different points of view.’ " Student quote
In-person Inspire activities at St John's
The Hub’s development and launch in October 2025 was made possible by a gift of $150,000 from Will Sentance in 2021. Sentance graduated from St John’s with a first-class degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) in 2010, and went on to found Codesmith, an immersive coding bootcamp that trains students to become professional software engineers. In addition to training consumers and enterprise teams, Codesmith expanded into the federal sector in 2026, becoming an awardee on a $118 million United States Treasury agreement to support the training and upskilling of AI engineers.
For Sentance, supporting the development of the Inspire Hub was a decision rooted in his experience as a student here, and his belief that exceptional education should be accessible no matter one's starting point. The Inspire Hub serves not only students on our outreach programs but also all prospective applicants to Oxford University and higher education.
" I am grateful to see what a powerful platform the Hub has become not only for St John's and Oxford applicants but for high school students at all stages of their studies. My own experience at St John's and the mentorship of Professor Walter Mattli was a defining point in my journey and I'm proud to be part of continuing that impact for others. " Will Sentance
Alumnus Will Sentance, whose generous donation has enabled the Inspire Hub to be developed
Sentance believes platforms like the Inspire Hub reflect a wider shift in how education and technology can work together, combining academic opportunity with community, mentorship and long-term support. When reflecting on Codesmith’s decade-long journey, Sentance describes being most proud of initiatives like Future Code, a free immersive tech job-training program in partnership with New York City - the latest iteration of which starts in autumn 2026.
" The community you build at Oxford is unique, and stays with you throughout life. I’m fortunate that Stephen Wolfram, another former St John’s student, is advising my new venture helping manufacturers adopt frontier technologies. I want future students to feel part of that same lifelong network, and ready to take on ambitious work together. "
The Inspire Hub’s careful development reflects a wider ambition to build a scalable, sustainable model for access and outreach which combines innovation with measurable impact. We hope the success of the Hub will demonstrate the potential of digital access initiatives and inspire further engagement in similar programmes.
" The true strength of the Hub lies in its ability to provide a high-quality experience for students no matter where they are located. Looking ahead, we hope to engage even more young people from non-selective state schools, particularly those who may be unable to visit Oxford or other universities, or take part in traditional online access activities such as webinars, including students living in remote areas or with caring responsibilities. By continually refining our programme, we aim to empower more young people to enhance their in-school learning, develop their academic confidence and refine their skills to allow them to reach their full potential. " Elly Rundle, Head of Access and Outreach
This is a hugely exciting next chapter for our access work and we expect the Inspire Hub will become an increasingly important part of our mission to ensure that talented young people, regardless of background, can access the opportunities, networks and confidence needed to thrive.