Academy Council
Laura Stone (Principal)
Robin Millard (Community Member)
Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Librarians and INformation Professionals (CILIP) from 1980
Associate of the Association of Project Managers (APM) from 2006
Initially worked in the University of Bristol Library and then spent 10 years working foe the London Borough of Camden as a Childrens Librarian, then later as On-line Reference Services Librarian.
Next came 12 years as Business Information Manager for a Department of the Environment agency before moving to Defence Equipment & Support in MOD Abbey Wood where I worked for 21 years in online information services and later as a certified project reviewer across government departments. Retired in November 2021.
I have been a school governor since 2016 at 3 primary schools in Bristol as chair, vice chair and link roles covering Pupil Premium and Safeguarding before joining the Broadlands Academy Council in 2022.
Martin Burton (Community Member)
Ben Ticktum (Staff Member)
Halael Mitchell (Trust Link Member)
Originally hailing from Cambridge, England and Vancouver, Canada, Halael holds a BA (Hons) in History and a B.Ed Primary.
She has 10 years of education recruitment experience; almost 7 of those are within the Talent team at Lift Schools, working across schools in London and the South West. Having previously taught abroad in South Korea as well as working within SEND education recruitment, she has a solid understanding of school life and the rewards and challenges that come with it.
Halael has a passion for child psychology/wellbeing and her personal values deeply align with those of Broadlands Academy.
Richard Vanstone (Community Member)
I am an English teacher by trade, having worked in two large secondary schools in London and Scotland for 38 years. My final post was as Director of Communication at Dollar Academy where amongst other things I held responsibility for Marketing, using photography and contact with the local press as major tools.
Since 2008 I have supported teachers and lecturers in Bath and North East Somerset as a caseworker for the National Education Union. I am familiar with most schools within the Local Authority and have been involved in the transition to Academy Trusts.
Since 2015 I have lived on Keynsham’s Somerdale estate and for seven years was a member of the Academy Council at the new on-site primary school. I am a volunteer at the Chocolate Quarter, visiting residents there suffering from dementia on a weekly basis.
Academy Council Information
Whilst the Board of Trustees holds overall governance accountability, the day-to-day responsibilities are delegated by the Trustees through a Scheme of Delegation to the Leadership Team, regional leaders and Academy Councils.
At a local level, each school in the Trust has an Academy Council. The Academy Council’s primary role is to provide independent assurance to the Trust based on the ‘lived experience’ of pupils, staff, parents, and members of the community, as well as promote stronger relationships between the Trust, the school and its community.
The purpose of the Academy Councils is set out in the Terms of Reference:
For further information about the Governance structure at Lift Schools, please visit the Lift Schools Governance Page. For the Articles of Association, Master Funding Agreement and the academy's Supplemental Funding Agreements, please also visit the Lift Schools Governance Page.
Do you want to make a difference?
If you are passionate about contributing to your community and are interested in finding more out about being part of your school’s Academy Council, we would love to hear from you!
For further details, please contact the Governance Team at governance@academiesenterprisetrust.org