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Royal Academy Schools choose to join OIA students’ complaints scheme

We’re pleased to announce that the Royal Academy Schools (RA Schools) in London has joined our Scheme as a non-qualifying institution (NQI).

Through its voluntary membership of our Scheme, the RA Schools will give its students the benefit of access to our students’ complaints scheme, should they need it.  

Following approval by our Board for the RA Schools to join our Scheme, students at the independent art school, which is part of the Royal Academy of Arts, will be able to bring their complaints to us (after they have completed the internal process) to receive independent review. For the RA Schools itself, there are opportunities to engage directly with our outreach and events which expand upon our Good Practice Framework and outreach. 

As part of our work to improve students’ experiences by resolving complaints fairly and independently, this voluntary route to our Scheme allows higher education (HE) providers that are not required to join our Scheme under the Higher Education Act 2004 to become a member. 

The RA Schools was established by royal appointment in 1769 and provides a postgraduate education in contemporary art practice.  

Charlotte Corrish, Head of Public Policy at the OIA said: 

“Although not legally required to be a member, the RA Schools has chosen to join the OIA Scheme so that its students can access independent and impartial redress. This voluntary decision demonstrates a strong commitment to putting students first as well as fairness, transparency and good practice in complaints handling. We welcome conversations with other institutions or awarding organisations who wish to offer the same reassurance and independent redress to their students.”

Eliza Bonham Carter, Curator & Director of the RA Schools, said:

“We believe in robust processes and being outside of HE Regulation means that we pay close attention to what is required by a postgraduate school of art alongside our commitments as a charity in fulfilling the Charity Commission's expectations. From 2024, we have been developing an additional set of policies and procedures for the Royal Academy Schools to guide students’ experience and support them. Becoming a member of the OIA was a natural next step. The OIA offers the RA Schools several advantages, including assurance that policies follow best practice, access to a community of experts with training and resources, and an external stage for reviewing complaints. We look forward to working with the OIA and other member colleagues from January 2026.”

ENDS 

Notes to Editors 

For further information please contact communicationsteam@oiahe.org.uk, 0118 959 9813. 

  1. The Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) is the independent student complaints ombuds service for higher education in England and Wales. It is the designated operator of the student complaints’ scheme under the Higher Education Act 2004. 
  2. Our Scheme is free to students and has been designed to be accessible to all students, without the need for legal representation. 
  3. We have a wide remit to review student complaints about higher education providers in England and Wales, as set out in our Scheme Rules. 
  4. Providers or awarding organisations who join as a “non-qualifying institution” are required to comply with the Rules of the Scheme in the same way as "qualifying institutions". 
  5. RA Schools joined our Scheme as a non-qualifying institution on 12 January 2026. 
  6. You can find further information about the Scheme and our work at https://www.oiahe.org.uk/. 

(Photo credit: David Parry)