Candidate for first female chancellor of Oxford focuses on student gender gap

Jan Royall is vying to become the first female chancellor of the University of Oxford, but faces competition from political heavyweights. Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

A candidate bidding to become the University of Oxford’s first female chancellor has said she would focus her efforts on narrowing the attainment gap between higher-performing male students and their female peers.

Jan Royall, the outgoing principal of the university’s Somerville College and a Labour peer, is one of five candidates to become Oxford’s new chancellor. If she wins, she would be the first in its history since the position was first recorded in 1214.