Eight schools in Gloucestershire are facing an imminent takeover following significant financial difficulties within the trust that manages them. Earlier this year, the SAND Academies Trust, headquartered at The Milestone School near Gloucester, was issued a formal ‘Notice to Improve’ by the Department for Education due to concerns over its weak financial status and governance.
The notice, served in April 2026, warned that if the trust failed to meet specific conditions, the government would consider contractual intervention options. Despite this, within just ten weeks, the Trust has concluded that operating as an independent organisation is no longer viable. Consequently, it has proposed transferring its eight schools to other trusts better equipped to support the schools and their pupils.
A spokesperson for SAND Academies Trust stated: “Our new board of trustees has determined that SAND Academies Trust cannot continue as a standalone entity. We have proposed to the Department for Education that our eight schools be transferred to trusts capable of supporting them in the next chapter. No decisions on the receiving trusts have been made yet. Pupil education and Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) remain safeguarded, as do staff contracts. All schools will remain open throughout this process, and we commit to transparency by keeping our school communities fully informed.”
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The Department for Education’s Notice to Improve, dated April 16, 2026, highlighted ongoing worries about the trust’s financial management, stating: “We remain extremely concerned about the significantly weak financial position and governance at the trust. This Notice serves as a directive to improve financial oversight. Progress will be monitored closely, and decisions to lift the Notice will only be made when all conditions are met. Should the trust fail to meet these requirements in the agreed timeframe, we will pursue contractual intervention options.”
The eight schools involved include five special schools and three mainstream institutions. Each has been approached for comment but has directed inquiries back to the SAND Academies Trust.