Governance
The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (Central) and its Governing Body endeavours to conduct business in accordance with the seven principles identified by the Committee on Standards in Public Life:
- Selflessness
- Integrity
- Objectivity
- Accountability
- Openness
- Honesty
- Leadership.
The Governing Body is committed to best practice in all aspects of corporate governance and adopted the Guide for Members of Higher Education Governing Bodies in the UK published by the Committee of University Chairmen (CUC). In accordance with the voluntary Governance Code of Practice included within this guidance, Central’s Governing Body has adopted a Statement of Primary Responsibilities.
As individual members of the Governing Body, Governors:
- have a duty to act fairly and without prejudice and will fulfil all that is expected of a good employer so far as they have responsibility for staff;
- have a duty to promote a culture of equality and diversity within the School, respecting differences and individuality, supporting inclusion and creating an environment of dignity and respect for others, and;
- will ensure that their behaviour is non-discriminatory, non-racist and does not cause others to feel bullied or harassed.
As provided by the Articles of Association, the Governors’ responsibilities include the determination of Central’s educational character and mission and approval of the Corporate Plan. Beyond its vision, ‘To be a world-leading institution of the theatrical and performing arts’ and mission statement, ‘Placing students at the centre of its work, Central develops practitioners and researchers who shape the future of theatre and performance across the UK and beyond.’; the Strategic Plan 2023-24 summarises the directions in which the School aims to develop over the next two-year period .
The governance structure can be viewed below.
The Governing Body is responsible for the oversight of the School’s strategic risks and is to ensure that robust arrangement are in place for the identification, evaluation and management of risks. Strategic risks are possible occurrences which would, through their impact, inhibit Central’s ability to effectively deliver its organisational aims and mission.
Central’s Risk Management Framework and Strategic Risk Register can be viewed below.