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 (GMT) 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.
Take a look below and reserve your complimentary spots for Spring 2026.
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.
Training joining details
We will email you the Microsoft Teams joining details a couple of days before the training session so keep an eye out in your email inbox. 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 event.
Literacy for All: Rethinking Access, Expectations and Entitlement
Date: Thursday 16th April 2026
Time: 15.30 – 16.00 (BST)
Literacy is not an optional extra, it is a right. Yet too often, pupils with complex needs are positioned outside of meaningful literacy instruction due to assumptions about cognition, communication or capacity.
In this focused session, Teach Us Too will explore why literacy must remain central for every learner, what equitable literacy provision truly looks like for pupils with complex needs in specialist and mainstream settings, and how expectations shape outcomes. We will challenge common misconceptions, reflect on who may currently be missing from authentic literacy experiences, and consider practical shifts to ensure no pupil is excluded from the opportunity to read and write.
This session is designed to provoke thought, strengthen professional resolve, and support leaders and practitioners to take purposeful next steps.
Name & Title of Presenters
Chantal Bryan, OBE, Director of Teach Us Too
Sarah Giles, Education & Training Lead, Teach Us Too
Training joining details
We will email you a Microsoft Teams meeting invite a few days before the training session so keep an eye out in your email inbox. Please contact CENMAC at newsandevents@cenmac.com if you do not have the joining details one day before the event.
Using Doodle to support maths, English and spelling for children with SEND
Date: Thursday 23rd April 2026
Time: 15.30 to 16.00 (GMT)
Join Andrew Roy, Senior Education Consultant for an overview of Doodle to support maths, English and spelling for children with SEND.
Andrew will also provide a live demonstration of the programme from the point of view of a child using it to support their learning. He will show example work at the learner’s level, focussing on SEND considerations in the programme.
He will also show the pupil data available to staff working with the child or children.
Presenter: Andrew Roy, Senior Education Consultant, Doodle
Ellie Fraser, School Success Advisor will also be on hand to answer questions during the presentation.
Training joining details
We will email you a Microsoft Teams meeting invite a few days before the training session so keep an eye out in your email inbox. Please contact CENMAC at newsandevents@cenmac.com if you do not have the joining details one day before the event.
Putting Learners at the Centre: Needs‑Led Learning with Dolphin Assistive Technology
Date: Thursday 30th April 2026
Time: 15.30 to 16.00 (GMT)
Discover how Dolphin EasyReader Education and SuperNova Education Kit empower children and young people with SEND to become active, independent learners.
This session explores how personalised study tools support reading, classroom participation and exam access. Creating learning pathways that adapt to each learner’s needs and help them reach their potential.
Presenter: Simon Kitchen, Chief Commercial Officer, Dolphin Computer Access
Training joining details
We will email you a Microsoft Teams meeting invite a few days before the training session so keep an eye out in your email inbox. Please contact CENMAC at newsandevents@cenmac.com if you do not have the joining details one day before the event.
Introduction to Switches
Date: Thursday 7th May 2026
Time: 15.30 to 16.00 (GST)
This session introduces switch access in a clear, confidence‑building way. We will explore what switches are, the different types available, and how they can be accessed. The session will consider who switches are for, highlighting the difference between universal, environment‑based use and personal, individual access.
We will discuss what switches can be used for, including play, interaction and communication, and share some of our favourite switch activities. Where possible, we will demonstrate how fun switches can be and provide practical ideas that can be applied immediately in real‑world settings.
Learning outcomes
- Describe the purpose of a switch
- Understand the difference between universal and personal switch use
- Describe at least three ways people can use switches
Our hope
To increase confidence and enjoyment in using switches — and to encourage people to give it a go.
Presenters:
Charlie Danger, Advanced Practitioner in AAC and Assistive Technology
Luke Thompson, Specialist in Assistive Technology
Training joining details
We will email you a Microsoft Teams meeting invite a few days before the training session so keep an eye out in your email inbox. Please contact CENMAC at newsandevents@cenmac.com if you do not have the joining details one day before the event.
Collective Voice, Collective Impact: The Alliance for Inclusive Literacy
Date: Thursday 14th May 2026
Time: 15.30 to 16.00 (GMT)
The Alliance for Inclusive Literacy exists to ensure that everyone has access to meaningful, progressive literacy education, including access to text and print and active participation in developing reading and writing skills.
We believe that everyone, including those who are non-speaking or physically disabled, can and should be taught literacy through inclusive, evidence-informed approaches that enable each learner to make progress.
In this session for SEND teams, we will explore what this commitment means in practice. We will outline:
- The vision and priorities of the Alliance
- How we unite voices to raise expectations and challenge exclusion
- How schools can connect with a growing professional community
- Opportunities to share practice, seek advice, and collaborate with others navigating similar challenges
SEND teams are often leading the work of removing barriers and rethinking literacy provision. This session introduces a national community designed to support, strengthen and amplify that work, so that no school is working in isolation and no learner is written out of literacy.
Presenters:
Chantal Bryan, OBE Director of Teach Us Too & Chair of the Alliance for Inclusive Literacy
Sarah Giles, Education & Training Lead Teach Us Too
Training joining details
We will email you a Microsoft Teams meeting invite a few days before the training session so keep an eye out in your email inbox. Please contact CENMAC at newsandevents@cenmac.com if you do not have the joining details one day before the event.
An Introduction to Learning Village and how it supports EAL learners with a SEND need
Date: Thursday 21st May 2026
Time: 15.30 to 16.00 (GMT)
Learners may have EAL needs, SEND needs, low-level literacy needs or a combination of some or all. This introduction shows how Learning Village uses images and other assistive features to support language learning for learners with different literacy levels and language backgrounds.
Learning Village (6-11 and 12-16) and Community Village (post 16) are blended vocabulary, language structure and reading programmes for EAL/ESOL, low-level literacy and SEND learners.
Presenter: Caroline Scott, Author & Director
Training joining details
We will email you a Microsoft Teams meeting invite a few days before the training session so keep an eye out in your email inbox. Please contact CENMAC at newsandevents@cenmac.com if you do not have the joining details one day before the event.
Switch Heroes: The Seven Stages of Switch Development
Date: Thursday 4th June 2026
Time: 15.30 to 16.00 (GMT)
This virtual session introduces Switch Heroes, a child‑centred framework designed to support the development of switch skills in a clear, practical and engaging way. Using the Seven Stages of Switch Development as its foundation, Switch Heroes brings switch learning to life through simple language, visual characters and real‑world examples that are easy for families, educators and professionals to understand and use together.
Luke will explain the framework, talk through how switch skills develop over time, and demonstrate the tools and resources associated with Switch Heroes, including posters, information sheets, assessment tools and practical activity ideas. The session will focus on building confidence, reducing anxiety around “doing it right”, and supporting consistent, meaningful switch use across everyday environments.
Who should attend? This session is suitable for anyone supporting switch users and aims to provide clear take‑aways that can be applied immediately.
Presenter: Luke Thompson, Assistive Technology Specialist
Training joining details
We will email you a Microsoft Teams meeting invite a few days before the training session so keep an eye out in your email inbox. Please contact CENMAC at newsandevents@cenmac.com if you do not have the joining details one day before the event.
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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