The second cohort of the
Prior's Court Graduate
Programme has offi cially
joined our staffi ng team.
Eight new Graduate Autism
Practitioners joined us in
September, starting their 18-month
placements where they will learn
all about our work and, most
importantly, work with our amazing
young people.
The graduates have now begun
their fi rst placements in our
Residential, Education and
Foundation departments. Each will
work across Prior's Court to gain
an understanding of how different
areas of our organisation contribute
to our operations.
Our Graduate Programme
provides a structured,
yet fl exible, pathway to a
rewarding career at Prior's
Court, with the insights of
graduates help us to shape our
provision and best practice.
Recruitment for our third
cohort - to join us in September
2022 - will begin shortly. For more
information, go to priorscourt.org.
uk.
Welcome to new batch of grads
ICT Lead accepted onto exclusive global
expertise programme ICT Lead Nuno Guerreiro during fi lming by Reuters
around our use of Virtual Reality
Prior's Court School's ICT Lead has been
invited to join an exclusive global group
which is pioneering the innovative use of
technology in the classroom.
Nuno Guerreiro has been selected as a Microsoft
Innovative Educator (MIE) Expert for 2021/22, giving
him the opportunity to share ideas, explore new
approaches and learn from fellow experts.
In the UK, only around 1,000 educators are part of the
2021/22 MIE Expert cohort.
For his application, Nuno cited how technology
supported our highly successful Eco-Schools
project, in which we recently achieved Green Flag
status. Software from Microsoft Offi ce, Edge and
Teams through to Minecraft Education Edition was
used to empower our young people to care for the
environment, learn more about environmental
issues, and share their progress.
Nuno, who is due to present at a conference in his
native Portugal in January around his use of Virtual
Reality with our young people, said: "Technology
has the potential to empower our students and
transform their lives. By being creative, innovative,
and imaginative and with individualised support, all
of our young people can fulfi l their potential.
"Microsoft tools are essential for inclusion. They
enable our young people, whatever their needs, to
use technology purposefully in ways that make the
wider curriculum accessible, empowering those
with communication diffi culties to engage with
others and to fully include everyone in activities and
learning.
"I am extremely excited to be a Microsoft Innovative
Educator Expert for 2021/22. I am looking forward to
sharing our successes through this programme and
exploring other approaches used elsewhere to see
how they can enhance the lives of our young people."
For the 2021/22 academic year, Nuno has led on the
introduction of a specifi c Digital Skills programme of
learning within our Vocational Skills Area of Learning,
in the Prior's Court Learning Framework. This is in
recognition of the vital ICT-based skills our young
people need to learn to access the world of work and
their intrinsic value in daily life.
Within this programme of learning, our young
people will cover topics ranging from using Microsoft
Offi ce software, through to photography and even
video editing.
Sue Piper, our Director of Young People's Learning,
said: "Prior's Court's ambitions are for our young
people to be happy, healthy, more independent and
able to access the world of work. Digital skills has a
part to play in all four of these areas and so it is vital
our young people have a recognised and relevant
learning pathway in this fi eld.
"At Prior's Court, we pride ourselves on the expertise
of our staff members and our innovative use of
technology. Nuno's recent acceptance onto the MIE
Expert programme is proof that this pride is well
placed."