The 2025/26 academic year has been a stellar one for ASDAN-accredited achievements by young people, with it being Prior’s Court’s best year yet with these awards.

Learning at Prior's Court is accredited by ASDAN, the charity, curriculum development organisation and awarding body that offers qualifications designed to grow skills for learning, skills for employment and skills for life.

Since 2023/24, Prior’s Court has provided customised accreditation in Readiness to Work, and the Hospitality and Land-based areas of our Vocational Skills Learning Programme.

In 2025/26, in total 12 accreditations were awarded in these areas, compared with nine in 2023/24 and six in 2024/25.

Additionally, five further awards have been made in ASDAN's Life Skills Challenges “Working Towards Entry 1” category – up from zero in 2024/25 and one in 2023/24. This programme is ASDAN's own and is not within Prior’s Court’s bespoke programmes.

So, overall, 17 accreditations were awarded in 2025/26, compared with six in 2023/24 and nine in 2024/25.

A notable part of this was the achievement of our first Hospitality accreditations. In their first year, the Hospitality: Food and Beverage programme saw seven young people awarded, and the Hospitality: Bakery programme celebrated its first award. In both cases, those accredited achieved at Intermediate level.

Kerry Brown, ASDAN Accreditation Co-Ordinator, said:

Each accreditation reflects real progress for the young person who earns it - a skill gained, a milestone reached, a step towards greater independence. This year, more young people took more of those steps across a broader range of programmes, which is a hugely welcome sign. A massive congratulations to the young people for their achievements, and a thank you to the staff members who have supported them every step of the way.

These qualifications were achieved by 13 young people – 10 within our School provision and 3 within our Young Adult Provision. For the School age young people, they have been working towards their qualifications over the three-year cycle since the customised accreditation models were introduced at Prior’s Court.

Young people within the School received their certificates at their graduation ceremony last week.

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Learning at Prior’s Court

While these customised programmes are accredited by ASDAN, learning by autistic young people with complex needs at Prior’s Court is delivered through the Prior's Court Learning Framework, which sets out how we work towards our ambition for every young person we support: to be happy, healthy, more independent, and able to work.

Find out more about learning at Prior’s Court

Why bespoke accreditation?

Prior's Court introduced a bespoke accreditation for our vocational programmes to ensure learners’ achievements are recognised in a way that is meaningful beyond Prior's Court. Unlike generic qualifications, these certificates clearly identify the specific vocational skills that each young person has gained.

This provides a more accurate reflection of their strengths and practical abilities, making achievements easier for employers, future provisions and community organisations to understand, recognise and value when considering future opportunities.