Priors Court School, Thatcham
Priors Court School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 20 in Thatcham. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2025.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2025)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Priors Court School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Priors Court School are Mary Hare School (2.1 miles, Good); The Castle School (3.3 miles, Outstanding); Engaging Potential (3.7 miles, Good); and Northcroft Vocational School (4.2 miles).
Mary Hare SchoolThe Castle SchoolEngaging PotentialNorthcroft Vocational School
What parents say
10 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Priors Court School (as of September 2025): 90% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that their child does well at the school (80%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Priors Court School has an education, health and care plan (67 of 67 in 2026).
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Priors Court School.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Priors Court School (adjacent), 320 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 13 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in West Berkshire (26).
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Priors Court creates a nurturing environment where pupils with complex needs truly flourish. Staff are highly trained experts who know each child intimately and provide precisely matched teaching and support. The school's ambitious curriculum prepares pupils well for their future through both academic learning and essential life skills.
Key Strengths
- Highly personalised curriculum tailored to each pupil's needs from early years through sixth form
- Expert teaching of communication skills enabling pupils to become independent communicators and make choices
- Exceptional personal development provision including life skills, safety, and social interaction learning
- Ambitious sixth form vocational programmes with real work experience and accreditations in areas like barista training and bakery work
- Calm, positive school environment with strong therapeutic and pastoral care creating trusting relationships
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with robust oversight from the proprietor body and secure implementation of statutory duties.
Extracurricular Activities
Trips, work experience placements, vocational training (ground maintenance, barista training, commercial laundry, customer service), Bread and Beyond on-site bakery
Priors Court School is an independent special school for pupils with autism and complex social and communication needs, where pupils flourish through highly personalised curriculum and expert therapeutic support. The school has maintained its Outstanding rating across all areas.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
10 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Priors Court School
Our current charity partners
2 Oct 2026
Milan Marathon 2027
2 Oct 2026
Cambridge Half Marathon 2027
2 Oct 2026
Hackney Half Marathon 2027
2 Oct 2026
Snowdon at Sunrise 2027
2 Oct 2026
Features of the outdoor classrooms
1 Oct 2026
From Priors Court School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Priors Court School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in West Berkshire is 3 (the median across 99 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
91%
Near capacity
67 pupils
74 places
7 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Thatcham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Thatcham
Across West Berkshire council
Places available
2,143
Applications
1,680
Got 1st preference
94.9%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All secondary applications across West Berkshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
Independent School standard inspection
Met all the independent school standards.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
67
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Priors Court School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
67
Total Pupils
59
Boys
8
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Priors Court School
Questions parents ask about Priors Court School
What is Priors Court School's Ofsted rating?
Priors Court School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2025.
Does Priors Court School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in February 2025, Priors Court School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Priors Court School?
Priors Court School has around 67 pupils on roll.
Does Priors Court School have specialist SEN provision?
Priors Court School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Priors Court School?
Priors Court School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Priors Court School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in West Berkshire is 3 (the median across 99 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Priors Court School?
Priors Court School is at Prior's Court Road, Hermitage, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG18 9NU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)