Thursday Thirty Training

CENMAC’s Thursday Thirty

Online training & information sessions

CENMAC’s Thursday Thirty online training & information sessions run throughout the school term.

Join us at 15.30 to 16.00 (BST) on Thursday afternoons to find out how a wide range of assistive technologies are used to support learning and communication in mainstream and special educational settings.

Who should attend? Our training sessions are suitable for teachers, SENCOs, school SEND teams, TAs, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, parents and carers supporting children and young people using assistive technology to access the curriculum and/or to communicate.

Please scroll down the page to see upcoming sessions for the 2026 Autumn term and to sign up for them.

CENMAC's Thursday Thirty Live online training & information sessions

Training joining details
Thursday Thirty online sessions are held via Microsoft Teams. You will receive a Microsoft Teams meeting invite via email to join the meeting. You will also receive reminders and joining details via EventBrite. Please check your spam or junk mail folder and contact CENMAC at newsandevents@cenmac.com if you do not have the joining details one day before the session.

Trauma Informed VR for Education – Staff and Student Access

Date: 5th November 2026
Time: 15.30 to 16.00 (GMT)

About the session: Our immersive films allow users to ‘walk in the shoes’ of children and young people facing difficult, real-world scenarios, bringing the challenges of trauma, neglect, and societal pressures to life.

Presenter: Paul Leahy, Senior Education Partnership Manager

> Reserve your place

Empowering Complex Learners: Leveraging AI and Personalised Assistive Technology for Inclusive Education

Empowering Complex Learners: Leveraging AI and Personalised AT

Date: 12th November 2026
Time: 15.30 to 16.00 (GMT)

About the session: If you missed Clare Thorn’s seminar session at our annual event Communication Works earlier this year this is a chance to hear from Clare again.

In this online session Clare explores the transformative impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in supporting learners with complex needs. By moving beyond traditional printed symbols, Clare will demonstrate how AI-generated imagery, personalised music, and bespoke video content can foster deep engagement through positive representation.

Featuring practical examples from her classroom, ranging from custom resources to songs featuring students’ own names. This presentation highlights how personalised, AI-driven tools can create meaningful connections for students who struggle to engage with standard resources.

> Reserve your place

Supporting children and young people with our Top Ten Free Apps!

Date: 19th November 2026
Time: 15.30 to 16.00 (GMT)

About the session:Join CENMAC Advisory Teacher Cary McCloskey for this online session. Carys will demonstrate the top 10 free apps she uses to support our CENMAC students with English, maths and the wider curriculum and show how they can help keep your students motivated and engaged.

> Reserve your place

Supporting Participation in the Classroom for students with SEND: An Introduction to IssieBoard, IssieDocs, IssieCalc, and IssieDice

Date: 26th November 2026
Time: 15.30 to 16.00 (GMT)

In this 30 minute online session, explore IssieApps designed to increase access to learning and classroom participation.

Apps include:

IssieBoard, a fully customisable keyboard
IssieDocs, a worksheet editor and digital binder
IssieCalc, a fully customisable calculator with text to speech support
IssieDice, a customisable dice app to support play and engagement in classroom activities.

Learn how educators and therapists use these tools to support reading, writing, mathematics, classroom engagement, and independent participation.

Presenters: Dana Cappel, Occupational Therapist and Rachel Blum, Speech and Language Pathologist at Beit Issie Shapiro

> Reserve your place

ReadingWise – Introduction & Overview

Date: 3rd December 2026
Time: 15.30 to 16.00 (GMT)

Join us for an introduction to the core ReadingWise modules, from our phonics resource and core word-reading intervention to our comprehension and vocabulary modules. We’ll look at which learners each module can support and share how to get started if you have pupils who could benefit.

Presenter: Emily Dixon, Community Administrator and Trainer, ReadingWise

> Reserve your place

Overcoming Barriers to Reading with Assistive Technology

Date: 14th January 2027
Time: 15.30 to 16.00 (GMT)

This week’s Thursday 30 will explore how accessible assistive technology can help students overcome barriers to reading and engage more fully with the curriculum. The session will demonstrate free tools and simple adaptations that can benefit all learners, as well as specialist solutions for those with more complex needs.

Presenter: Carys McCloskey, CENMAC Advisory Teacher

> Reserve your place

Overcoming Barriers to Writing with Assistive Technology

Date: 21st January 2027
Time: 15.30 to 16.00 (GMT)

This Thursday 30 will explore common barriers to writing in the primary classroom. The session will outline practical environmental adaptations and low-tech assistive technology that can support pupils. We will also showcase free apps, software, and built-in accessibility tools that can enhance writing and reduce barriers to learning. Finally, we will examine a range of specialist and paid-for assistive technology solutions to help schools make informed decisions about supporting pupils with more complex needs.

Presenter: Carys McCloskey, CENMAC Advisory Teacher

> Reserve your place

Missed a Thursday Thirty Session?

Thursday Thirty sessions are recorded > View recorded sessions

If you have any changes in school and need training to implement the students’ assistive technology please do get in contact with your advisory teacher or mail@cenmac.com.

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