Winchester College Annual Report 2023 | Page 72

mitigated to an acceptable level . The key controls used by the College to manage risk include :
• Formal agenda and minutes for all Governing Body and Committee activity ;
• Detailed terms of reference for all Committees ;
• Audit & Risk Committee , specifically focused on the College ’ s risk register ;
• Strategic planning , budgeting , cash flow forecasting and management accounting ;
• Established organisational structures and lines of reporting ;
• Formal written policies ;
• Clear authorisation and approval levels ; and
• Well publicised policies and procedures as required by law for the safeguarding and protection of children , including procedures for the vetting of staff , volunteers and contractors .
Quality and Suitability of Campus The school is also dependent on the quality and suitability of its buildings and facilities , including IT . This brings its own challenges , including data protection and cybersecurity risks , and the school is aware of the need to spend appropriately on continuous improvement and development .
The school is currently undertaking a major redevelopment programme to replace the existing PE Centre and reshape the southern part of the campus with the construction of two new boarding houses . Financial and operational risks inevitably accompany any project of this size and extensive steps have been undertaken to ensure the project is appropriately managed and monitored , with regular reporting to the Governing Body .
Safeguarding In common with all schools , the safeguarding and protection of children in the College ’ s care is of paramount importance and the Governing Body ensures that adequate time and resources are devoted to it ; appropriate policies and procedures and training are in place and followed ; and a policy of openness and collaboration , both within the School and with relevant external authorities , is pursued .
Public Policy Adverse changes to the public policy framework within which charitable independent schools operate and adverse media interest could potentially have a detrimental effect on the reputation and finances of both the school and independent education in general . The school retains appropriate legal , communications and other professional advice in addition to its own in-house resources . More broadly , the school works with sector representative bodies to promote the benefits to society that come from independent schools .
Academic Performance The Warden and Fellows are mindful of the need to maintain pupil numbers and the academic performance of the School .
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