A special celebration event brought together the Prior’s Court community past and present as part of our 25th anniversary year.

This year’s annual Let Me Shine music festival doubled as a key event to mark our silver jubilee, with the 2024/25 year commemorating 25 years since Prior’s Court first opened its doors.

Held on May Day, the event was the biggest Let Me Shine festival yet, with musical performances across two stages, themed creative workshops, facepainting, a collaborative artwork activity, and a special guestbook featuring an image of the Court House building. 

A photo display showcasing highlights from the past 25 years of Prior’s Court provided a visual journey through our history.

Read about a special tree planting at the event

Former young people and their families, past staff members and trustees were invited to join the celebrations, alongside current staff, young people, and their families - creating a vibrant atmosphere of shared memories and community.

Read more about former young people attending

During the event, a Corkscrew Hazel tree was planted in our Orchard by our longest-serving staff member, Lynsey Preston, our Director of Safeguarding and Health & Safety, and one of our first ever young people at Prior's Court Jenny.   

Speaking about the 25th anniversary, our Founding Patron Dame Stephanie Shirley said: "Celebrating 25 years of Prior’s Court fills me with immense pride. From humble beginnings, we have grown into a world-renowned institution, supporting some 90 pupils with the dedication of more than 500 staff. Our commitment to excellence and inclusivity has set a new benchmark for autism education.

"The school’s innovative approaches have earned it "Outstanding" Ofsted ratings and international recognition. Prior’s Court continues to pioneer new paths, opening doors to greater independence and happiness for our pupils.

"I am deeply grateful for the dedication of our teams, whose tireless efforts have made this Silver Jubilee possible. Here’s to the future and the continued success of our extraordinary journey."

Check out drone photography from the day

In the lead-up to the event, commemorative 25th anniversary caps were distributed to all staff members. A new panel was also added to our anniversary timeline—originally created for our 20th year—charting our journey from 1999 to the present day.

Help us create more special moments

A donation to our ‘'Fun and Recreation Appeal'’ helps to bring this sort of events to the young people at Prior’s Court and provide them, and their families, the special moments which can often feel impossible.

Find out more about the appeal