The Edinburgh Academy’s governing document is its Royal Charter. The Charter was originally granted in 1824 and the last material amendment was made to the Charter in 1934, although some minor amendments were made in 2007 to allow the Academy to become co-educational. The Privy Council, in 2017, approved the grant of a Supplementary Charter to The Edinburgh Academy. The following changes have been made:

(a) that the objects and powers of the Academy are appropriate for the current activities and operation of the school;
(b) that the objects and powers are in compliance with the legislation relating to charities and trustees and in particular the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 (“the 2005 Act”);
(c) that the governance arrangements comply with relevant legislation, the recommendations of OSCR and best practice.

A copy of the Supplementary Charter is available here:

Royal Charter dated 11 October 2017

The Court Annual Report and Audited Accounts can be found at:

Consolidated Financial Statements and Directors' Report 2024

The Court meets a minimum of four times a year as well as holding an annual Strategy Day. To enable the Directors to cover the wide remit of their duties a robust committee system is in place with the following principal Committees who report to the Court of Directors.

Finance and General Purposes Committee
The Finance and General Purposes Committee oversees the School’s financial management and long-term sustainability, working closely with the Chief Operating Officer to support its financial stability and strategic objectives. The Committee also oversees the development and management of the School’s estate and infrastructure, ICT, environmental sustainability, and health and safety. It monitors compliance with relevant legislation and regulatory requirements across these areas.

Safeguarding Committee
The Safeguarding Committee oversees the School’s approach to safeguarding, child protection and pupil wellbeing, ensuring that the safety and welfare of pupils remain a priority. The Committee reviews safeguarding arrangements, monitors compliance with relevant legislation and regulatory requirements, and makes recommendations to the Court of Directors to support continuous improvement.

Education Committee
The Education Committee oversees the quality and development of the School’s educational provision, including academic standards, curriculum and pastoral care. It reviews the School’s educational performance and approach, promotes best practice within the independent school sector, and makes recommendations to the Court of Directors to support the continued delivery of a high-quality educational experience.

Governance, Nominations and Policies Committee
The Governance, Nominations and Policies Committee oversees the effectiveness of the School’s governance arrangements, ensuring that the Court of Directors operates in accordance with good governance principles and relevant legal and regulatory requirements. Its responsibilities include reviewing the skills and composition of the Court, supporting the recruitment and appointment of Directors, overseeing senior remuneration, coordinating risk management and maintaining oversight of the School’s policies and compliance arrangements.

The Court of Directors encourage an open communications policy with all in the School Community. Court Directors attend a large number of events and are accessible to members of the school community if required.

All candidates for joining the Court are approved by the Court of Directors following a recommendation from the Nominations Committee and based on criteria established by the Court to ensure that it maintains appropriate representation to undertaken its role effectively.

Whilst all enquiries should in the first place be taken forward with the appropriate member of staff in the School, the school has a detailed Complaints’ Policy to deal with any issues that the complainant feels have not been satisfactorily addressed. The Policy can be found here:

Complaints Policy

In addition, in the event of any other matter, the Chair can be contacted through the Chief Operating Officer’s Office at the address below:

Clerk to the Court of Directors
The Edinburgh Academy
42 Henderson Row
Edinburgh
EH3 5BL

or email at coo@edinburghacademy.org.uk