Welcome from our Chair
A very warm welcome from the Local Advisory Board of The Milestone School.
As Chair it gives me great pleasure to explain the roles and responsibilities of the Governors. The Milestone School enables children to learn and flourish in a safe environment where they are supported for their individuality with a curriculum delivered by a dedicated and committed staff team who show empathy and integrity daily.
Governors are from a variety of backgrounds with a wide range of skills and experiences. We acknowledge that we cannot do our job without the expertise of the Headteacher, the Leadership Team, the teaching staff, learning partners and many more staff in administrative and practical roles.
The Governors are a team united by our commitment to the school. We are involved in many aspects of school life:
- Staff recruitment
- Health and safety
- Finance
- Safeguarding
- Curriculum development
- Teaching and learning
- Pupil activities and celebrations
We undertake a range of training and have regular presentations on relevant subjects delivered by staff.
As Chair I will strive to ensure that the needs of pupils, staff, parents and carers are met.
As Governors we expect continuous improvement and monitor all areas to ensure aspirational and realistic goals are set and achieved.
To summarise, our aim is to ensure that every pupil receives the best possible educational and life experiences. I believe that, with commitment from everyone, Governors, staff, parents and carers, we shall succeed.
Kate Hawkins
What are LABs?
Local Advisory Boards (LABs) are a key part of the governance structure within SAND Academies Trust and are integral to supporting the vision for the Trust in ensuring the individual identity of each school.
The Trust Board is the accountable body and has ultimate responsibility for the strategic functions of governance as follows:
- Ensuring there is clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
- Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils and the performance management of staff
- Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent
What does the LAB do?
The LAB supports the Trustees in fulfilling the strategic functions at a local level and within the powers delegated to them through the Scheme of Delegation. The LAB will consider how the school is performing today as well as thinking about the future and how the school can improve in order to offer the best possible education and outcomes for its students.
The role of the LAB is to:
- Uphold SAND Academies Trust ethos, vision and aims and ensure these are embedded throughout the school and in all LAB discussions and decisions
- Ensure that the school promotes equality, diversity and inclusion for all its pupils, staff and stakeholders
- Behave in an honest and open way and follow the LAB Code of Conduct and the seven Nolan Principles of public life
- Ensure the safety and wellbeing of pupils and staff at all times
- Build and maintain good relationships with the school, the trust, the headteacher, staff, pupils and other stakeholder groups
- Promote links with the school’s community at every opportunity
- Work with the central team to ensure the school is well supported, and promote positive relationships across the trust
- Attend and support school events where possible
- Ensure the school is clear and ambitious for the pupils and in line with the trust’s strategic plan
- Monitor targets for the school around pupil achievement, school improvement and curriculum development
- Ensure that the school is best able to achieve its objectives over the long term
- Hold the headteacher to account for the management of the school, delivery of pupil outcomes and for carrying out any LAB decisions.
Who make up the LAB?
Local Advisory Boards draw on different stakeholder groups for their membership. The different categories of LAB members are as follows:
- Staff – elected by the staff at the school
- Parent – elected by the parent/carer community at the school
- Headteacher – is an ex-officio member by virtue of their role in the school
- Community – representative of the local community or to bring a specific skillset
Statutory information
The following statutory information for SAND Academies Trust can be found on the SAND website https://www.sandmat.uk/governance/
- Governance structure – including statutory information for Members and Trustees
- Scheme of Delegation
- Terms of Reference for board committees and LABs
- Articles of Association
- Funding agreements
- Annual report and audited accounts
- Executive Pay statement
- Gender Pay Gap information
Contact Details
The Clerk to the LAB is Val Holliday. If you have any LAB related queries or need to contact Kate Hawkins, LAB Chair, please email val.holliday@milestone.sandmat.uk or write to her at The Milestone School, Longford Lane, Gloucester, GL2 9EU.
LAB members
| Name | Category | Term Commenced | Term Ends |
| Kate Hawkins | Chair (Safeguarding) | 01/06/2023 | 31/05/2025 |
| Stephen Dowell | Headteacher | 01/09/2023 | N/A – Ex-officio position |
| Tina Clark | Community | 26/06/2023 | 25/06/2025 |
| Sue Antill | Staff | 26/09/2023 | 25/09/2025 |
| Michael Williams | Community | 22/09/2021 | 21/09/2025 |
| Amanda Phillips | Community | 29/02/2024 | 28/02/2028 |
Terms of Office are for four years unless otherwise stated, then a further two years if re-elected.
All members have voting rights.
Historic LAB member details
Left in the last 12 months.
| Name | Category | Term commenced | Term ends |
| Andrew Williams | Community | 15/06/2020 | 14/06/2024 |
Other lab details
LAB Meeting Dates
Dates of Meetings for The Milestone School LAB 2024 – 2025
All meetings will commence at 10am
3rd October 2024, 28th November 2024, 23rd January 2025, 13th March 2025, 8th May 2025, 4th July 2025
LAB Register of Business & Pecuniary Interests
The Milestone School Governor Details
Governance Information, Annual Reports & Accounts
Please visit the SAND Academies Trust website for more details.
Governor Attendance 2024-25
Governor Attendance 2024-25
| THE MILESTONE SCHOOL – GOVERNOR ATTENDANCE 2024/25 | ||||||||
| NAME | CATEGORY | Local Advisory Board | ATTENDANCE % | |||||
| 03/10/2024 | 28/11/2024 | 23/01/2025 | 13/03/2025 | 08/05/2025 | 04/07/2025 | % YTD | ||
| Kate Hawkins | CHAIR | Yes | 100% | |||||
| Sue Antill | STAFF | Yes | 100% | |||||
| Tina Clark | COMMUNITY | Yes | 100% | |||||
| Stephen Dowell | HEADTEACHER | Yes | 100% | |||||
| Michael Williams | COMMUNITY | Yes | 100% | |||||
| Amanda Phillips | COMMUNITY | No | 0% | |||||
| KEY | In attendance | Yes | ||||||
| Absent | No | |||||||
| Not obligated to attend | NOA | |||||||
Governor Attendance 2023-24
| THE MILESTONE SCHOOL – GOVERNOR ATTENDANCE 2023/24 | ||||||||
| NAME | CATEGORY | Local Advisory Board | ATTENDANCE % | |||||
| 28/09/23 | 30/11/23 | 18/01/24 | 29/02/24 | 02/5/24 | 20/6/24 | % YTD | ||
| Kate Hawkins | CHAIR | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 83% |
| Sue Antill | STAFF | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 100% |
| Tina Clark | COMMUNITY | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 100% |
| Stephen Dowell | HEADTEACHER | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 83% |
| Andrew Williams | COMMUNITY | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | NOA | 80% |
| Michael Williams | COMMUNITY | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 83% |
| Amanda Phillips | COMMUNITY | – | – | – | Yes | No | Yes | 66% |
| KEY | In attendance | Yes | ||||||
| Absent | No | |||||||
| Not obligated to attend | NOA | |||||||
Governor Attendance 2022-23
| THE MILESTONE SCHOOL – GOVERNOR ATTENDANCE 2022/23 | ||||||||
| NAME | CATEGORY | Local Advisory Board | ATTENDANCE % | |||||
| 29/11/22 | 24/11/22 | 26/1/23 | 9/3/23 | 11/5/23 | 29/6/23 | % YTD | ||
| Kate Hawkins | CHAIR | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 83% |
| Sue Antill | STAFF | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 100% |
| Tina Clark | COMMUNITY | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 100% |
| Stephen Dowell | DEPUTY HEADTEACHER | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 100% |
| Michael Lewis | PARENT | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 83% |
| Elaine Marshall | COMMUNITY | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 67% |
| Diane Taylor | HEADTEACHER | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 100% |
| Andrew Williams | COMMUNITY | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 83% |
| Michael Williams | COMMUNITY | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 67% |
| KEY | In attendance | Yes | ||||||
| Absent | No | |||||||
| Not obligated to attend | NOA | |||||||
Governor Attendance 2021-22
