About CCE
Governance
Find CCE's governance information, leadership, policies and financial reports in one clear and accessible place.
Governance at CCE
The Commonwealth College of Education (CCE) has been an established provider of education since 1987. It has a reputation for high quality, value-led inclusion education, opening the doors of opportunity to students who otherwise might be left behind.
Further to its Advisory Board, the College is now moving to change its conditions of registration, and in this process, transition the Advisory Board to a fully functioning Board of Governance with aligned infrastructure. The governance structure as outlined below is proportionate for a small provider, OFS-compliant, and CUC-aligned, and scalable to support further growth.
Governance Framework and Board Structure
Governance Structure
The supplied governance structure places the Governing Board above the Academic Board and its principal committees.
CCE Governance Structure
CCE’s Governing Board - Terms of Reference
The Governing Board is the ultimate decision-making authority responsible for:
- Strategic Direction
- Financial Sustainability
- Regulatory Compliance
- Safeguarding institutional reputation
As such, its core responsibilities are:
Strategy and performance
- Approve CCE’s mission, vision and its strategic plan
- Monitor delivery against KPIs
- Ensure long-term sustainability
Academic assurance (via Academic Board)
Receive assurance on:
- Academic Standards
- Quality of courses
- Student outcomes
Ensure compliance with B-conditions (quality and standards)
Financial oversight
- Approve annual budget and financial strategy
- Monitor financial performance and viability
- Ensure proper use of funds
Risk, audit and compliance
- Maintain effective risk management framework
- Ensure internal and external audit arrangements
- Oversee regulatory compliance (OFS, CMS, GDPR etc)
Governance and legal duties
Ensure compliance with:
- Governing documents
- OFS public interest governance principles
Maintain high standards of transparency and accountability.
People and leadership oversight
- Appoint, support and hold the Principal accountable
- Approve senior remuneration (via Board sub-committee)
Stakeholder accountability
- Ensure Student interests are protected
- Safeguard reputation and public confidence
Membership
- Chair (independent)
- Independent governors (majority)
- Principal (ex-officio)
- Student member
- Staff member
[the above complies with the CUC Code of Practice 2026]
Meeting frequency
Normally, the Board will meet 4 times a year, 3 times ‘virtually’, and once in person. Whilst transitioning from the CCE Advisory Board, it is expected that there might need to be one or two additional Board meetings to assure progress through OFS regulatory changes en route to Degree Awarding Powers.
- Quoracy will be 50% of independent Board members
- A register of interests will be maintained
- An annual Board effectiveness review will be undertaken
Delegation
The Board delegates authority through:
- The Principal and the Executive
- The Committees (Audit & Risk, Finance & Resources, Nominations & Governance)
Board Committees and Academic Governance
Audit & Risk Committee
Purpose – to provide assurance on:
- Risk Management
- Internal Controls
- Audit
- Regulatory Compliance
And to include:
- Review of financial controls
- Oversee internal/external audit
- Monitoring the risk register
Finance & Resources Committee
Purpose – to provide detailed scrutiny of:
- The Budget
- Financial Planning
- Cash flow and sustainability
- Overall resources
Nominations & Governance Committee
Purpose –
- Board composition (to include skills matrix), recruitment and succession
- Governance framework, effectiveness and oversight of governance compliance
- Board evaluation
- Contractual terms of the Principal alongside oversight of senior staff pay and incentives
Academic Governance – the Academic Board
(a parallel structure; not a Board committee but reports to the Board, to provide assurance)
Purpose – oversight of:
- Academic Standards
- Quality Assurance
- Assessment frameworks
Leadership and Management
Leadership profiles are presented on a dedicated page. This keeps the Governance page focused on oversight, policies, reports and supporting documents.
Policies and Procedures
College Policies
Browse the policies currently published by CCE. PDF documents open in a new browser tab.
Main Policy Pages
Academic and Student Policies
Financial Reports and Audited Accounts
CCE's published audited accounts are available to download as PDF documents.
Need More Information?
Contact CCE at info@cce.ac.uk or call 020 4597 0619.