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The Royal Ballet School

Charity rating & review

65/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
65 /100

Clarity score

Needs improvement

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Quick answer

Is The Royal Ballet School a good charity?

The Royal Ballet School scores 65/100 (3 stars, Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2024 (£16m total income, 94% of spending on charitable activities). This reflects financial transparency and stewardship on paper — not the real-world impact of its programmes. See the full breakdown.

London · UK-wide · WC2E 9DA Reg 214364 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

What does The Royal Ballet School do?

The Royal Ballet School is a registered charity (no. 214364) working in arts & culture across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 94% of spending to charitable activities, though its recent accounts were filed late. Reported income has been growing (≈6% a year). CharityCompare's Clarity Score rates the organisation only from public Charity Commission accounts — accountability, financial health, efficiency and community support — not the quality or impact of its programmes.

Summarised from public filings — The Royal Ballet School hasn't added its own description yet. Work here? Add it free →

In short: THE ROYAL BALLET SCHOOL scores 65 out of 100 (3 stars). 94% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below.

What is The Royal Ballet School?

The Royal Ballet School has a Clarity Score of 65 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Needs improvement). Charity Commission registration number 214364. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Arts & culture. Latest accounts year 2024: total income £16m, with 94% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: late. 1 filing concern(s) noted on this profile. Scores are independent and based on official filings — not a donation recommendation.

Data from Charity Commission register, last updated .

Overall score

65/100

3★ · Needs improvement

Cause spend

94%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

75/100

Finance beacon

Income

£16m

Latest year 2024

Reserves

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

Late

Check register

£17.6 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 6% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: medium

How does THE ROYAL BALLET SCHOOL compare?

Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers THE ROYAL BALLET SCHOOL scores higher than.

Income band (£10m+)14thpercentile

Scores higher than 14% of 943 charities in its income band · 65/100 vs 77 peer average (marker).

Arts & culture charities21stpercentile

Scores higher than 21% of 624 charities in this cause · 65/100 vs 76 peer average (marker).

How reliable is The Royal Ballet School's data?

Source
Charity Commission (England & Wales)
Accounts year
2024
Filing date
Profile reviewed

Medium confidence — some data missing or late

Scores reflect the latest annual accounts on the register. Clarity Score measures how clearly the charity accounts for money in those filings — not programme impact.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Sources: Charity Commission for England and Wales, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Open Government Licence v3.0 .

What is The Royal Ballet School's Beacon report?

Detailed accountability and finance metrics from UK regulator filings — structured for transparency in our four-beacon report.

Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

75/100

Accountability & Transparency metrics for THE ROYAL BALLET SCHOOL
Metric Score Value
Filing history (5 years)

100% on-time over five years = 15 pts · one late filing = 5 pts · two or more = 0 pts.

33% 5/15 pts
Trustee oversight

Three or more trustees on the register = 15 pts, scaled down for fewer (governance red flag below three).

100% 18 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies

Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return.

100% 10/10 pts

Financial Health

Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.

50/100

Financial Health metrics for THE ROYAL BALLET SCHOOL
Metric Score Value
Reserves (months of cash)

3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years (hoarding) = 0 pts.

0% Not stated · 0/15 pts
Income stability / growth

+20% or more over the window = 10 pts · flat = 5 pts · −20% or worse = 0 pts, scaled between.

100% 10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets

0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt.

100% 5% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for THE ROYAL BALLET SCHOOL
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below.

100% 94% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency

≤10p to raise £1 = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 40p or above (fundraising cost ÷ income).

100% 6p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

0/100

Community Support metrics for THE ROYAL BALLET SCHOOL
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between.

0% 25 volunteers / 261 staff · 0/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

What is The Royal Ballet School's Clarity Score?

65/100 total · Needs improvement · 3 of 5 stars

Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings.

75/100
Accountability & Transparency
50/100
Financial Health
100/100
Financial Efficiency
0/100
Community Support

Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

75/100

Filing history (5 years)5/15 pts
Trustee oversight18 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.

50/100

Reserves (months of cash)Not stated · 0/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets5% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

100/100

Program expense ratio94% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency6p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

0/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratio25 volunteers / 261 staff · 0/10 pts

How much does The Royal Ballet School raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2024 · Source: Charity Commission filings

THE ROYAL BALLET SCHOOL revenue and expenses for 2024
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £16m
Total expenditure £19m
Charitable activities £17m 92%
Fundraising £1.6m 8%
Governance & admin £51k 0%
92%On charitable activities

Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2024) · £19m spent

  • Charitable activities92%
  • Fundraising8%
  • Governance0%

What trust indicators does The Royal Ballet School have?

Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported.

  • Accounts filed on time

    Filing status: late

  • Trustee board size (3–12)

    18 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    261 employees · 25 volunteers (0:1 volunteer-to-staff)

Fundraising Regulator

Not listed as member

Separate from our financial scores — shows whether the charity follows the Code of Fundraising Practice.

Check Fundraising Regulator →

Official register

Reg 214364

Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • Kevin O'Hare since 2012
  • Thomas Clementi since 2018
  • Joanna Birkett since 2018
  • Carlos Acosta CBE since 2020
  • Craig Alan Ranson since 2021
  • Suzanne Margaret Brennan since 2021
  • Cordelia Redwood-Sawyerr since 2022
  • Richard Dennen since 2022
  • Caroline Anne Davis since 2023
  • Mary Breen since 2023
  • Alistair Summers since 2024
  • Lady Sarah Ann Dorfman since 2024
How we score charities +

The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK regulator filings (Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR and CCNI). Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10) — each scored on a continuous scale, not pass/fail cutoffs. A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically.

Full methodology →

Accountability & Transparency

Scored from filings

40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15, scaling up to a board of three or more), declared policies (10).

Financial Health

Scored from filings

30 points — reserves (15, full marks 3–24 months, tapering on both sides), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5, scaling down as debt rises).

Financial Efficiency

Scored from filings

20 points — program expense ratio and fundraising cost, each on a graduated scale (not a single cutoff). Kept at 20% of the total: financial-ratio scoring alone is not a reliable effectiveness signal (see "why not just an overhead ratio?" below).

Community Support

Scored from filings

10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data, scaling continuously up to a 2:1 ratio.

Overall score

Sum of all pillar points. Display stars use the same bands as the labels: 90–100 → 5★ Exceptional; 75–89 → 4★ Good; 60–74 → 3★ Needs improvement; 1–59 → 2★ Poor; 0 → not rated.

How have The Royal Ballet School's finances changed over five years?

£0k £5400k £10800k £16200k £21600k 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Income 2020: £12,359k Spending 2020: £11,971k Cause spend 2020: £11,678k Income 2021: £11,767k Spending 2021: £12,888k Cause spend 2021: £12,538k Income 2022: £12,534k Spending 2022: £14,279k Cause spend 2022: £13,759k Income 2023: £21,241k Spending 2023: £16,191k Cause spend 2023: £15,481k Income 2024: £15,661k Spending 2024: £18,583k Cause spend 2024: £17,005k
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Cause spend plotted only when the filing discloses a split · Source: Charity Commission accounts

What are the key facts about The Royal Ballet School?

Overall score
65/100 (3★)
Income
£16m
Cause spend
94% of expenditure
Reg number
214364
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
Trustees
18
Accounts year
2024
Filing
late

Where THE ROYAL BALLET SCHOOL sits

The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby.

Similar arts & culture charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

How can you share The Royal Ballet School's rating?

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How do you add The Royal Ballet School's rating to your site?

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What red flags does The Royal Ballet School have?

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about The Royal Ballet School's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is The Royal Ballet School a good charity? +

The Royal Ballet School scores 65 out of 100 (3 stars — Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 94% of its spending goes to charitable activities and its accounts are late. That reflects how transparent and financially healthy it looks on paper — it does not measure the real-world impact of its work, so treat it as one factor alongside the cause you care about. CharityCompare never tells you where to donate.

Is The Royal Ballet School a legitimate charity? +

Yes — The Royal Ballet School is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 214364). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/214364. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is The Royal Ballet School's charity number? +

The Royal Ballet School's charity number is 214364. Check that number on the official register (Charity Commission, OSCR or CCNI) or this CharityCompare profile before you donate — scammers sometimes reuse real numbers on fake appeals.

What is The Royal Ballet School's charity rating? +

The Royal Ballet School scores 65 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars — Needs improvement). The Clarity Score V1 sums four pillars from UK regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10). Stars use the same bands as those labels — 90+ is 5★ Exceptional. It is not an impact ranking.

Does The Royal Ballet School have reviews and complaints? +

CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for The Royal Ballet School. Instead you get a filing-based Clarity Score, cause spend, reserves and red flags such as late accounts (1 filing concern(s) noted on this profile). For formal complaints about a charity, contact the Charity Commission, OSCR, CCNI or the Fundraising Regulator as appropriate.

How much of my donation reaches The Royal Ballet School? +

According to its 2024 regulator filing, 94% of The Royal Ballet School's total spending went to charitable activities (3-yr avg across disclosed years). That is the closest official figure to "how much of your donation reaches the cause" — it is an average across all spending in the filing, not a pound-by-pound breakdown of an individual gift.

What are The Royal Ballet School's overheads? +

According to its 2024 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 6% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 6% of total expenditure at The Royal Ballet School. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what The Royal Ballet School's chief executive is paid — where disclosure rules apply, senior pay appears in the trustees' annual report on the Charity Commission register.

How much income does The Royal Ballet School receive? +

The Royal Ballet School reported £16m total income in its 2024 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing.

Are The Royal Ballet School's accounts up to date? +

Filing status: late (last filing 2026-06-24). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score.

Where is The Royal Ballet School based? +

The Royal Ballet School is listed at London · UK-wide · WC2E 9DA and operates UK-wide, focused on arts & culture.

How does CharityCompare score The Royal Ballet School? +

We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in The Royal Ballet School's regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 points — filing history, trustees, policies), Financial Health (30 — reserves, income trend, debt), Financial Efficiency (20 — cause spend and fundraising cost, on a graduated scale) and Community Support (10 — volunteer-to-staff ratio). An open statutory inquiry scores 0. The score measures reporting on paper, not programme impact. CharityCompare is free for donors, takes no commission on donations, and scores cannot be bought.

How often is this page updated? +

This profile was last updated on 17 July 2026 from the latest UK regulator data available to CharityCompare, and The Royal Ballet School's most recent accounts cover 2024. Scores and figures refresh whenever we re-ingest the register, so the page reflects our latest data pull rather than a one-off review.