Professor Chris Millward Appointed Interim Director for Fair Access and Participation
Summary
The Department for Education and Office for Students have announced the appointment of Professor Chris Millward as Interim Director for Fair Access and Participation at the Office for Students. Professor Millward previously served as the first Director for Fair Access and Participation at the OfS, where his leadership transformed Access and Participation Plans. He will serve in an interim part-time capacity whilst recruitment to the substantive role takes place.
What changed
The Department for Education and Office for Students announced the appointment of Professor Chris Millward as Interim Director for Fair Access and Participation. Professor Millward previously held this role during the OfS's founding period and led the transformation of Access and Participation Plans. He will serve on an interim part-time basis while a full recruitment campaign for the substantive role is conducted.
This appointment does not create new compliance obligations for higher education institutions. The interim arrangement maintains continuity of the Fair Access and Participation directorate while the public appointments process identifies a permanent successor. Universities and colleges should monitor for announcements regarding the substantive recruitment campaign when advertised on the public appointments website.
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Apr 20, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Press release
Interim Director for Fair Access and Participation appointed
Professor Chris Millward appointed as Interim Director for Fair Access and Participation
From: Department for Education, Office for Students and The Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson MP Published 10 November 2025
The Department for Education has today announced the appointment of Professor Chris Millward as Interim Director for Fair Access and Participation at the Office for Students (OfS).
Professor Millward is Professor of Practice in Education Policy at the University of Birmingham, where he leads research on educational equity and its impact on policy and practice. He is a Marshall Scholarships Commissioner, a Trustee and Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and a Trustee of the Society for Research into Higher Education.
He previously served as the first Director for Fair Access and Participation at the OfS, where his leadership transformed Access and Participation Plans.
Prior to his first tenure at the OfS, Professor Millward was Director of Policy at the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), overseeing the Teaching Excellence Framework, National Student Survey and Uni Connect.
He has held academic and policy roles at the universities of Warwick, Edinburgh and Durham, and at the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
Professor Millward’s work continues to focus on place-based educational opportunity and lifelong learning. He will serve in an interim part-time capacity whilst recruitment to the substantive role takes place.
A full recruitment campaign for the substantive Director for Fair Access and Participation role will be advertised on the public appointments website in due course.
DfE media enquiries
Central newsdesk - for journalists 0203 371 4832
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Published 10 November 2025
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