Priors Court School

Inspection of Priors Court School Prior’s Court Road, Hermitage, Thatcham, Berkshire RG18 9NU

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Inspection dates: 11 to 13 February 2025

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Sixth-form provision Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at this remarkable school. Pupils have highly complex special educational needs and/or disabilities, and nearly all are non-verbal. From the time they begin to the moment they leave, their needs are extremely well known and met. Pupils benefit from the high ambition that the school has for what they can achieve. The expert teaching and support they receive means that they achieve these ambitions well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Every part of the school is calm and positive. The precise and effective teaching of communication means pupils are independent communicators. They can share their views, including their likes and dislikes. This helps pupils to stay regulated and calm. On the rare occasion that a pupil is anxious or upset, they receive skilful and patient care from well-trained staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils start the school mostly unable to be in the same company as others. The highly adept therapeutic input and pastoral care that pupils receive here have a profoundly positive impact. This is clear to see during social times and in classrooms where pupils engage with each other and adults with relative ease. Pupils and adults have nurturing relationships. Pupils are happy. They trust that the adults they work with will take care of them.

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better?

Every decision the school has made about the curriculum is deliberate and well conceived. Pupils, from the very earliest stage of development to students in the sixth form, all receive a highly personalised curriculum offer. The school has created a highly ambitious and appropriate curriculum. It meets the academic needs of pupils as well as their personal development needs. As a result of this, pupils are extremely well prepared for their future.

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better?

Teachers precisely match the knowledge outcomes from the curriculum to every activity pupils complete. This includes trips and other extra-curricular activities. This means everything pupils do at the school is purposeful and helps them build knowledge in all areas of learning very well. Robust daily checks take place on how well pupils have learned the intended curriculum. Staff use information from these rapid checks to make adept changes to activities so pupils’ needs are met exactly. All staff are expert practitioners. They know the needs of pupils extremely well. They also know how to create and put in place tasks and resources that will help pupils build knowledge well over time.

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better?

From the start of school all the way up to sixth form, pupils’ achievement is exceptional. Teachers expertly use the aided communication stimulation approach in every area of learning. This enables pupils to access the curriculum and succeed. Pupils are excellent communicators in their own ways. They make clear choices and use symbols to access and navigate the school site independently. Pupils learn the foundations of mathematics and English very well. Through specialist teaching, they 11 to 13 February 2025 secure an understanding of early number and the very beginnings of phonics. Teaching early English is highly proficient and well resourced. The skilful use of sensory stories brings books to life for pupils.

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better?

Pupils’ personal development provision is exemplary. Through the ‘keeping me safe’, ‘healthiness’ and ‘daily living skills’ curriculums, pupils receive a comprehensive and high-quality education offer. Pupils learn important life and social interaction skills that prepare them well for what comes next. This begins at the earliest stage, where pupils begin to recognise their place in the world and that they have views and a voice. Over time, pupils learn that others exist in their space who may need help or have views of their own. With support from school staff, pupils learn that people are not the same and begin to recognise the differences between each other. The school’s deliberate work in this area helps pupils to become positive contributors to a group.

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better?

In the sixth form, the students’ curriculum offer expands into vocational studies. This is an ambitious offer which exposes students to valuable and high-quality work experience. Students have gained bespoke accreditations in a range of vocational areas. These include ground maintenance, barista training, commercial laundry, customer service and baking in the ‘Bread and Beyond’ on-site bakery. Through these programmes, students are taught general readiness to work skills.

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better?

Pupils are highly motivated learners. Their levels of regulation are excellent. They engage well with the adults they work with to coregulate when they need to. Staff model positive and kind interactions, and pupils respond very well to this. Pupils focus well on their learning. Students in the sixth form demonstrate high levels of independence to access activities set out for them. A sense of calm and focus pervades each classroom, and disruptions to learning are very rare. This is because staff, supported by the expert therapeutic and nursing team, create the optimal sensory, physical and communication environment. This is carefully considered, using information from specialist reports and assessments to ensure that all pupils can thrive, which they do.

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better?

The views of staff and parents and carers are captured well and used to inform decisions about the provision. Staff feel motivated to work here. They appreciate the high-level expert training they receive and how this helps them to meet pupils’ needs accurately. The proprietor body has clear oversight of the quality of the provision. This includes oversight of the independent school standards (the standards). There is a robust organisational structure with directors responsible for various areas of the standards. Through regular audits and checks, these directors ensure the standards are met securely and consistently. The proprietor body and governors are driven to give the highest quality support and care to pupils. They have secure oversight of their statutory duties. They have worked well with school leaders to ensure that their ambitious strategic vision is fully realised.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 11 to 13 February 2025

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 11 to 13 February 2025

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

School category Independent special school

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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form

Date of previous inspection 22 to 24 March 2022 11 to 13 February 2025

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Information about this school

 Prior’s Court is an independent special school for pupils with autism, all of whom have complex social and communication needs. All of the pupils at the school have an education, health and care plan.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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Information about this inspection

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector met with the school principal and other members of the leadership team. She met with two members of the board of trustees, including the chair of the education and learning board. She also met with the CEO of the proprietor body.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading and communication, mathematics, vocational studies, keeping me safe and healthiness. For each deep dive, the inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons. They also spoke to some pupils in lessons.  The inspectors considered a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluations of

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Information about this inspection

the school, their school improvement plan and minutes from trustee meetings.  The inspectors considered the responses of parents and carers to Ofsted Parent View. The inspectors took account of the views of staff through conversations and the responses to the online staff survey.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector toured the school sites to gather evidence about compliance with the standards. The inspectors only inspected the education provision at this 11 to 13 February 2025 school.  Inspectors also reviewed a range of other documents and policies.

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Inspection team

Nina Marabese, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Gary Regan Ofsted Inspector 11 to 13 February 2025 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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