A delegation from
the Saudi Arabian
Department of Education
visited Prior's Court to
learn more about autism
best practice.
The delegation of four were
travelling around the world
looking for examples of best
practice for residential special
schools, including visiting Prior's
Court with the delegation
particularly impressed by our
innovative data platform, Prior
Insight.
Prior Insight was developed as
the complex nature of our young
people's autism means a lot of
information needs to be collected
to tailor to their specific needs.
It also enables us to track the
progress they make and informs
us about ways in which we can
improve this progress and the
outcomes they achieve.
In recent years, we've hosted visits
from delegates from China, India
and now Saudi Arabia. By sharing
our expertise and experience, we
can help to improve the lives of
even more children and families.
Spreading autism best practice to the Middle East
Prior's Court once again played host to a
course run by a horticultural charity.
Our horticulture vocational skills instructor Wendy
Moffatt played host to a course run by the horticulture
charity Thrive (The Society for Horticultural Therapy).
'Using Social and therapeutic horticulture in
mainstream and special schools to support pupils
with SEND' is a two-day course that provides
information, skills and practical techniques that will
create and develop school horticulture activities and
create year-round programme that meets individual
and collective pupils' needs.
The course was hosted in our on-site horticulture
facilities which includes polytunnels and a specialist
classroom.
After hosting two successful courses in 2018 and 2019,
followed by a Covid-imposed break, we were thrilled to
host the course for the third time.
Green-fingered delegates welcomed for specialist course
A new dedicated space has been
opened to allow our young people to
access careers and the world of work.
Our new Careers Library is for our young people in
post-16 and Young Adult Provision to make use of.
This space will provide information and guidance
to the students about job opportunities, the labour
market, post-16 options and more careers related
insights.
There are displays with information about who
our Job Coaches are and case studies of recent
young people who have had work experience, work
placement and paid work successes. There are also
books and other visual information, alongside a
computer workstation and comfy seats.
Nickie Dunphy, our Careers Lead/Job Coach
Coordinator, said: "One of our four key aims for our
young people is to empower them to be able to
access the world of work. A key approach to this is
identifying the work-related skills and interests of
our young people as we can then work on these to
develop more employer-friendly skills and knowledge.
"The Careers Library will help us to do this."
A donation from Persimmon Homes allowed us
to purchase bean bags and notice boards whilst a
bursary from the CDI enabled us to buy a bookcase
and to fill it with suitable books for the room.
The room is also set to be used to introduce young
people to a library-style amenity, which can serve as
a step towards visiting a public library for those for
whom transitioning to the community might be a
challenge.
Careers Library opens to
explore the world of work