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"Our son has come on in leaps and bounds at the wonderful setting Prior's
Court, the care and support of the staff are second to none." - Parent of a young
person at Prior's Court
Communication between home and school:
As a residential school, regular communication with parents is regarded as vital.
Learning and Wellbeing staff communicate frequently to update parents and
families on their child's progress and well-being such as through a telephone call
at a pre-arranged time once or twice per week (or more frequently, for example
when a child has recently joined Prior's Court School).
All parents are invited to the Statutory Annual Review and LAC Review (where
applicable) of their child's special educational needs. Where appropriate this will
be complemented by social services care reviews. However, parents are also
welcome to talk or meet with key staff to discuss progress or concerns at a
mutually convenient time.
An online Parent Information Area is available for parents and carers to receive
communications and be sent information and resources.
All parents have access to the Parent Portal section of our bespoke data recording
system Prior Insight. This portal consists of reports on a range of areas including
behavioural incident counts, seizure activity, detailed food and drink intake, and
any injuries. This helps parents get a closer look at what their child is doing on a
day-to-day basis and help them to better understand their child's autism.
Contact with families
Parents, carers and extended family are invited and welcomed to visit Prior's
Court School. An on-site flat and family room is available for family visits and
stays. Appointments can be made to meet with staff.
Young people are encouraged and supported by staff in communicating with
their families in a number of ways such as making a telephone call, video call, or
sending an email.
A calendar of events is sent to parents so that families can attend activities such
as an annual sports day, training sessions and information/signposting events.
An e-newsletter is sent to parents every six weeks, providing updates on events at
Prior's Court, policy changes, staff changes and other items of interest.
Parents have access to a private Facebook group to interact with other parents to
create a community of support. Access is also given to a specific Parent
Information area of our website, which contains key documents, letters home and
other resources.
A Parent Forum hosted by members of the Prior's Court team is held regularly
with parents encouraged to suggest topics for discussion. An Admissions
Manager and a Transitions Officer provide support at the times families and
young people most need it (i.e. on joining, leaving and key points during their
time at Prior's Court School). They and other staff also provide relevant training,
resources, events and information.