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  1. About us
  2. Our people
  3. Trustees

Trustees

Prior’s Court is a charitable company registered with the Charity Commission which is directed and guided by Trustees for the purpose of charity law.

The Trustees determine the general policy of the Foundation and are appointed by the company membership and serve for up to three years, retiring by rotation and being eligible to serve for two further terms under the Articles of Association.

The Chief Executive, Mike Robinson is responsible to the Trustees for overseeing all operations within the Charity as well as the framework for staffing, education and residential care requirements for the school. New Trustees are appointed at Full Trustee meetings upon approval by the existing membership.

The Board of Trustees, which may have up to 25 members, administers the Charity.

The Board and sub-committees meet quarterly.

Appointed Advisers

Prior's Court Trustees are supported by one parent Appointed Adviser and two staff Appointed Advisers.

Appointed Advisers do not have any voting rights but they attend all Full Trustee meetings and other relevant committees. Their role is to act as a link between the Trustees and the groups they represent such as parent and staff advisers.

Trustee correspondence

Written correspondence should be sent to the following:

FAO Chris Barrett DL, Chair of Trustees, c/o Prior's Court School, Hermitage, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG18 9NU

Chris Barrett DL – Chair of Trustees

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Chris has spent his entire professional career working in the Advertising and Marketing sector. His early career was spent in leading international advertising agencies, latterly as a creative director. In 1977 he co-founded his own agency, Barrett Howe which became a leading UK Business-to-Business and Brand development Agency. In 2013 he founded Rapport Marketing, a Brand and Marketing Consultancy that advises organisations on the development of Strategic marketing communications; Brand Creation and Development; and Public and Press relations. In 2001 Chris was part of a small group of business people who came together to form ‘Slough Business Community Partnership’ and was its Vice Chairman from 2007 - 2012. In 2007 he became a trustee of ‘Berkshire Community Foundation’ and was elected Chair of Trustees in 2010, a post he held for five years. Upon stepping down in June 2017 he was invited to become Managing Trustee of the Rivertime Boat Trust. In January 2018 was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of The Royal County of Berkshire. Chris joined the Board of Prior’s Court in September 2018.

Published: 8th December, 2020

Updated: 29th December, 2020

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William Powlett Smith - Deputy Chair

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William is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, retiring in 2008 from Ernst & Young LLP after 25 years as a partner where he led the Anglo-German business development practice and subsequently the health sciences team. He then held two non-executive appointments with private companies and taught on the undergraduate programme at St Clare’s, Oxford and Oxford Brookes University. For fifteen years (including five years as Chairman) he served as a trustee of Cecily’s Fund, which helps educate orphans and vulnerable children in Zambia. He is a founding trustee of the recently formed Charity Mentors, Oxfordshire which provides strategy mentoring for non-profit making organisations. In September 2016 he was appointed Chair of Northern House School Academy Trust.

Published: 9th December, 2020

Updated: 3rd March, 2021

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Rachel Childs - Safeguarding Trustee

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Rachel is a former headteacher with experience of working across the primary and secondary phases. Her most recent post in education (2014-2018) was as Head of English for the Medical Tuition Service in West Berkshire, working with children who were out of mainstream provision due to a variety of physical and mental health needs. Since 2011, Rachel has pursued a portfolio career in regulation. She was a non-executive director for the Advertising Standards Authority between 2011 and 2018 (serving as Deputy Chair between 2015 and 2018). She currently works for a number of different regulators, including the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the Architects Registration Board, The Portman Group and Health Education England. Rachel joined the Board of Trustees at Prior’s Court in July 2020.

Published: 10th December, 2020

Updated: 29th July, 2021

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Anna Hwang

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Anna is a property professional with over 15 years of experience in real estate investment and asset management business. Up until January 2019, Anna was an investment partner in a UK real estate investment and asset management company based in London. Anna was an acquisition partner specialising complex deal transactions and management of acquired assets. Alongside this, she was responsible for management of investor relationship. Before her time at Addington Capital, Anna was an associate director at a property equity firm CIT and prior to that in the HSBC commercial real estate lending team. Anna took a career break whilst studying EMBA at university of Cambridge which she graduated in May 2010. Anna is a member of RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) and holds an MBA from University of Cambridge, MSc from University of Reading and BSc from University College London.

Published: 31st December, 2020

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Elvira Patrasco

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Elvira is a member of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, working as a Finance Manager for the NHS. She started her career within private sector, construction and recruitment industries before moving into healthcare. She also volunteers as a Treasurer in her local Orthodox Church. Elvira joined the Board of Trustees at Prior’s Court in October 2020.

Published: 31st December, 2020

Updated: 22nd September, 2021

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Buchan Scott

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Buchan is a qualified solicitor. He started his career working in corporate finance before moving in-house with the FI Group, the business founded by Dame Stephanie Shirley. He then spent 15 years as a partner in a private equity firm with responsibility for legal and compliance and latterly fundraising. Since retiring in 2015, he has been working part time as in house counsel and is a member of his children's school's fundraising and overseas development committees and the United Nations Association Finance Committee. He joined the board of Prior's Court in March 2017.

Published: 31st December, 2020

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John Byrne

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John is a retired teacher who spent the majority of his teaching career in special education. He was, for the last twenty years of his career, head teacher of a large special school. This all age school catered for pupils with a variety of special needs that included complex and severe disabilities as well as pupils on the autistic spectrum. During his time as head teacher John became an Ofsted Inspector specialising in the inspection of special schools. On his retirement he worked as a school improvement advisor supporting the head teacher and governing bodies of special schools in a number of local authorities. John finished this work in 2013. John is a family man with children and grandchildren. In his spare time he enjoys golf, gardening and supporting London Irish Rugby Club.

Published: 31st December, 2020

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Professor Catherine Tissot

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Catherine is a Professor of Education and Special Needs at the University of Reading where she is the Head of School for the Institute of Education and lectures in Special Educational Needs across most of the initial teacher training and Masters level programmes. Her doctoral research focused on appropriate educational provision for children with autism and looked at this from the view point of parents, local authorities and a school. She was previously an employee of Prior's Court School and is a parent of a young adult with autism (who was one of Prior’s Court School’s first students).

Published: 31st December, 2020

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Dr Charlotte Wilson

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Charlotte is an Executive Headteacher of a small Multi Academy Trust with three schools in both the primary and secondary phases. All three schools host specialist units for children with special needs. In her role as Headteacher she represents Secondary Heads on the Local Authority Funding Forum and is part of the SEND Strategic Partnership Board. Charlotte is also a serving Ofsted Inspector specialising in both primary and secondary inspections.  

Published: 29th July, 2021

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Carol Unwin

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A qualified engineer, Carol has spent her career in IT and Business Process Services. She now pursues a portfolio career, combining voluntary, study, consulting and small business activities. In addition to Prior’s Court she supports students at Bath University through their Gold Scholars programme. Carol is interested in how IT and the data it is generating can improve life experience.

Published: 29th July, 2021

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Debbie Fulton

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Debbie is a Registered Nurse working within the NHS, with 32 years of experience and a broad range of managerial and leadership positions. She is currently an Executive Director of Nursing in a Mental Health and Community Trust. Debbie is also a specialist advisor for the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Debbie holds a BA from Reading University and an MA in Health and Social Care management from University West London.

Published: 17th March, 2022

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Mary Robertson

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Mary is an experienced HR Director with a particular expertise in employee pay and benefits. She started her career about 30 years ago at Marks & Spencer, and since then has worked for a broad range of organisations. In 2006 Mary set up Reward Matters Ltd. With a team of associates she provides consultancy and interim management support to a range of clients. In late 2021 Mary decreased her commercial commitments to enable her to join our Board of Trustees.

Published: 17th March, 2022

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Showing 10 of 12

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The young people at Prior’s Court are all severely affected by their autism. We strive to help them to be healthy, happy, more independent and have the opportunity to work. We aspire to transform the lives of even more young people with complex autism and continually push forward with improvements and innovations to provide the best possible care. This is why we exist. Read more

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Prior’s Court
Hermitage
Thatcham
Berkshire
RG18 9NU

Tel: +44 (0)1635 247202
Email: [email protected]

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