Seven young people from Prior's Court enjoyed a brilliant pizza-making trip to Pizza Express, rolling up their sleeves to make their very own pizzas from scratch.

This was a fantastic opportunity to generalise skills learnt in the classroom, at home and on-site in a community setting.

Pizza Express runs a programme that welcomes schools into its restaurants for a hands-on pizza-making session, and young people Ethan, Theo, Daniel L, Sammy, Imprahim, Joel P and Brandon were each supported by staff members to take part.

Everyone got stuck in and made their own pizzas at the Abington branch of the pizza chain, then waited patiently for them to cook - decorating their own paper hats while they waited - before heading to a nearby park to enjoy the fruits of their labour together.

As well as being great fun, the trip was an excellent chance to practise a whole host of skills learnt on-site but in a new environment: staying safe in public, washing hands, preparing food, crossing roads, waiting, safe use of the minibus and socialising with peers.

The staff at Pizza Express were full of praise for our young people, and everyone came away with a certificate to mark their achievements.

A massive well done to our magnificent seven pizza makers, and a big thank you to every staff member who made the day possible.

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What is Vocational Learning at Prior's Court?

Vocational Learning focuses on preparing post-16 students for the world of work. Young people focus on learning vocational skills in different areas of Horticulture and Hospitality, depending on their individual skills and interests. The focus here is on learning the skills and then being able to apply them in work experiences and placements both on and off-site. 

Our Vocational Skills Area of Learning contains two key programmes of skill acquisition, each focused on employment sectors, in which young people develop skills and experiences based on their strengths and interests. Young people can access different sub-programmes of each of the two programmes. A team of specialist staff ensure all young people access a range of experiences, on-site and off-site, to practice and develop their skills.

These programmes of learning are:

Land-based 

• Orchard
• Ground maintenance
• Grounds gardening
• Plant nursery

Hospitality

• Customer service including reception and retail
• Housekeeping including commercial laundry
• Conference services including room set up and porterage
• Food and beverage incorporating our bakery, as well as café and barista training

Under each programme of learning there are skills to be learnt. These are selected based on the individual’s level of understanding and what is achievable for them. To support the learning, skill steps are used by the staff team to offer a consistent approach.

All young people regardless of which vocational pathway they follow will also be taught Readiness to Work skills to prepare them for entering the world of work. These are skills such as manual handling, wearing PPE, focus and productivity among other topics.