Catz People: Introducing Our Admissions Manager, Ruari Craig-Wood
In this edition of Catz People, we meet Ruari, our Admissions Manager, whose work helps open the door to Catz for the next generation of students.
Ruari sits at the heart of the College’s relationship with future students. From the moment a prospective applicant first encounters the College to the day they enrol, his team shapes the experience. It is a position that blends strategy, logistics, communication and empathy.
The admissions cycle begins earlier than many might realise. Following the UCAS deadline on 15 October, work begins to understand the incoming cohort, from identifying access requirements to managing practical considerations like international time zones.
One distinctive feature of the College’s process, Ruari tells us, is the involvement of student ambassadors, who are recruited to carry out pre-interview test calls. “It’s fantastic because it steadies the applicants, and it’s very rare we have tech problems during actual interviews”, he says. Speaking to someone closer in age also offers candidates an early glimpse into College life and a friendly face before a nerve-wracking day.
“That’s part of the job I like most, being able to be a reassuring voice”
The interview period itself is fast-moving. Shortlisting, interviews and decisions all take place within a matter of weeks. Despite the scale of the operation, there is still room for personal touches. “Jim, the Tutor for Admissions, actually hand signs all the outcome letters, around 1,000, and I think it’s a considerate touch”, he says. After interviews, the focus shifts to graduate admissions, outreach events, open day preparations and responding to applicant queries as they navigate their next steps.
One of the most rewarding parts of the job, for Ruari, is “being able to be a reassuring voice” during what can be an anxious time for applicants and their families. As he puts it, the aim is always “to try and make what is very complex, very simple”, whilst ensuring the College’s ethos is apparent. “There are no silly questions”, he adds, “literally ask me anything”.
Ruari was drawn to St Catz because of its values. Coming from a background as a modern languages and English literature teacher, he arrived with a decade’s worth of being aligned with “the ethos of a progressive, forward-thinking and proactive comprehensive school”. This mirrors the reasons why the College itself was established. He believed he “would fit well with Catz”, and still sees his position as one where he can “remove barriers but also cast the net as widely as possible and look for potential”.
The skills he brings to the role come from what he describes as a “patchwork” of experiences. He studied Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Oxford, after initially applying for Spanish and English. “The English professors weren’t too impressed with me”, he laughs, “but I was offered Portuguese instead, which I took, and I’ve pretty much spoken Portuguese every day since I graduated”. Studying languages, he notes, has given him “such a point of connection with lots of people that come and visit”. Alongside this, volunteer work with a mental health helpline, a law conversion course, and his time in teaching have all contributed to his approach.
This languages background continues to shape his outreach work at the College, particularly through the Catalyst programme, which works in partnership with schools across Wales. Each week, a new Welsh word appears on the office door, sparked by a suggestion from the College’s Outreach Officer and shaped by discussions with his team. This is a small but deliberate gesture that reflects a deeper focus on removing perceived barriers to application. “Bilingualism is such a gift,” he says. “To think that someone is bilingual or multilingual and is worried that it might be a barrier to them, or put them at a disadvantage, is horrific.” Through Catalyst’s engagement with Welsh-medium schools, he works to ensure students understand that there’s “unlikely to be a barrier, and if there is, then we have support.”
“I hear a lot of laughter when I walk around”
When asked what stands out most about St Catz, his answer is simple, it is the community. “I hear a lot of laughter when I walk around”, he says. “It feels like there’s potential, and it’s open to change, innovation and discussion about the future”.
And finally, the fuel behind admissions season. “Well, it used to be coffee, a cortado with soy milk”, he admits. “But now I’m a decaf person”. This time, however, there was one clear winner: “We did consume an enormous amount of chai during admissions this year”.
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