Prior's Court

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Prior’s Court is a not-for-profit charity with a purpose to transform the future for autistic young people with complex needs.

Prior's Court Foundation is a UK registered charity (no. 1070227) which provides education and residential care for autistic young people with complex needs aged 5-25. The Foundation manages a School, Young Adult Provision and a training centre.

26/10/2026

Young person Ryan has been busy in his work experience session with the Marketing team, and the poster he made for our Fire Walk is the brightest thing on the noticeboard this week.

As his poster says, this is your last chance to sign up for our charity Fire Walk! On Saturday 7th November, UK Firewalk will be here at Prior’s Court to lay out two metres of hot coals for our supporters to walk across. With free pyro-musical fireworks after!

You don’t need to be fearless. Just willing to make a difference.

Thank you, Ryan, for giving the Fire Walk a poster to be proud of. Sign up via the link in the comments.

23/10/2026

Aprons on, hats on and straight into the dough. Two of our Adult Education groups headed to Pizza Express this week for a pizza-making workshop.

Everyone stretched out their own base and spread on the tomato sauce before picking their toppings and handing them over to the oven. Once the pizzas were ready, the group sat down together, ordered drinks and tucked into what they had made.

Trips like this give our young adults the chance to try something hands-on in a real community setting, from following each step of a recipe to ordering at the table. Thank you to the team at Pizza Express for hosting us, and to our staff for supporting everyone on the day.

22/10/2026

Fancy a free fitness class with a good cause attached? Nuffield Health is hosting a fundraising fitness afternoon for Prior’s Court on Saturday 31st October.

🏋️ 12:30pm BodyPump
🥊 1:30pm BodyCombat
🧘 2:30pm Yoga

Classes are open to any adult, and you don’t need to be a member. Instead of paying, we’re asking people to give what they can on JustGiving. Every penny goes towards new playground equipment for the young people here.

There are only 20 places per class, so booking is essential. Call 0118 975 0550 or email [email protected] to reserve yours. There is also a form in the comments you can use to book.

You can donate via the link in the comments or on the day.

A big thank you to Nuffield Health Reading and their instructors for giving up their Saturday for us.

21/10/2026

For Black History Month, young adults working with our land-based team have been learning about Alma Thomas. She was an American artist who taught art for 35 years before going on to create the bold, abstract paintings she is known for today. Each young adult chose one of her pieces to recreate as a collage. Jessica and James went for the sun, while Rory chose a painting with shapes that resembled a mountain.

This was the first time Wendy, our Land-based Area Lead, had run the activity with the group. “I really liked all of the art they did,” she said.

Thank you to the staff who supported each young adult to create their own piece. You can read the full story in the comments.

20/10/2026

Spooky season arrived early at Prior’s Court! Here’s a dark and spooky selection of photos from yesterday’s Halloween Disco.

There were costumes, there was dancing, and the hall turned properly eerie for the evening. Everyone got into the spirit of it, and some of the outfits were truly terrifying (in the best way).

A big thank you to everyone who came along and supported the night, and to the staff team who put it together and made sure everyone had a brilliant time.

19/10/2026

Alex from Giles House has been on his very first trip into Newbury town centre!

He used a gift voucher to pick out a toy at The Entertainer, then finished with a hot chocolate and cake at Costa. In his own words on the day: “I’m having so much fun!”

Getting there was an achievement in itself. Alex travelled on the minibus with his peers Rudi and James, something he has found tricky in the past, and he took it in his stride. Beforehand, the Giles House team talked him through the plan and the choices he could make, and made a visual schedule so he could count off each step on his fingers. He has since been swimming with them too.

Thank you to the Giles House team for making this happen. Well done Alex!

16/10/2026

Embracing Arts spent two days in the main theatre at our Piper Arts Centre, running inclusive theatre workshops for young people from every age group at Prior’s Court. The sessions focused on making connections and working together as a group, and on using drama to help young people recognise and express different feelings.

Before the visit, each young person had a social story explaining who would be coming and what would happen in the theatre, so the new faces felt a little less unfamiliar on the day. Inviting outside theatre and performance groups has been part of the plan for the Piper Arts Centre from the start, and it was brilliant to see the space used this way.

Our thanks to the Embracing Arts team for two days of fabulous interaction.

15/10/2026

Last chance to sign up for the Prior’s Court Firewalk!

On Saturday 7th November, walk barefoot across hot embers, led by twice Guinness World Record holder Scott Bell. No experience needed, and a training seminar comes first. Registration is £10, and we ask walkers to raise £150 for our Outdoor Classrooms Appeal, helping autistic young people with complex needs learn outdoors.

Pyromusical Fireworks follow from 6pm.

Book via the link in the comments👇

14/10/2026

Earlier this month, the whole of Holly Class came together for a sensory story. They sat as a group and shared the experience side by side. Settling into a shared space and staying with an activity together is a real step for our young people, and Holly have got there quickly.

Lucy Snellgrove, who shared these photos, said: “It is so lovely to see how well, in a short space of time, they have learnt to sit in a group together and share the experience of class story time.”

A big well done to the young people in Holly Class, and to everyone supporting them.

Address

Prior's Court, Hermitage
Thatcham
RG189NU

Website

http://www.priorscourt.org.uk/

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