For all training sessions:
In the event of low numbers, we will contact delegates and offer a place on an alternative course. In the event of high interest, we may add further dates.
Freemantles reserve the right to cancel sessions due to adverse weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances, but alternative dates will be offered.
Training for Professionals at Freemantles School 2025-26
A wide range of high quality, low cost training will be offered by Freemantles school this academic year, including both online sessions and courses held in our on-site training room.
Details of the training options available are outlined below with links to the relevant booking pages.
...or click here to go straight to our events page on TryBooking
Location: Online Dates 2025/26: Tuesday 18th November Tuesday 17th March Wednesday 1st July (10.00am-12.00pm) |
During the session you will receive training on Autism Awareness, helping to build your understanding of the day to day difficulties experienced by someone with autism both in Early Years and Primary Classroom settings. We look at strategies which can help to reduce anxiety, maximise communication, promote independence and increase engagement in learning together with strategies that are tailored to younger children or those functioning at a lower level. You will also have the opportunity to think about specific challenges which you face with the child you work with or in your setting. There will then be the opportunity for questions to be asked about those specific challenges and to receive some guidance and suggested strategies. |
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Location: Freemantles Dates 2025/26: Wednesday 19th November Wednesday 4th February Wednesday 3rd June (1.00-4.00pm) Book Autism Interventions Demo
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Aimed at staff working in Surrey maintained Primary Schools and academies ONLY as part of our universal outreach offer. A maximum of 4 staff members per school. Do you have pupils with autism who need extra support with communication and attention?
Empower your staff with practical, proven strategies that make a real difference. Our experienced Outreach team will demonstrate autism-specific interventions in action and share expert tips on how to adapt these approaches for a mainstream classroom. Join our Autism Interventions Workshop to gain insight into:
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Location: Freemantles Dates 2025/26: Thursday 8th January Wednesday 6th May (10.00am-1.00pm)
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During the session you will receive training on Autism Awareness, helping to build your understanding of the day to day difficulties experienced by someone with ASD. We look at strategies which can help to reduce anxiety, maximise communication, promote independence and increase engagement in learning. You will visit a classroom at Freemantles and be able to see the ways that our specialist staff utilise the strategies which we have talked about. There will be the opportunity to talk to the Outreach Team about specific challenges you face, and think about some strategies to support the child you work with. You will receive a resource pack containing some visual strategies which can be tailored to the individual child. |
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Location: Freemantles Dates 2025/26: Thursday 27 November Thursday 5 March Thursday 25 June (10.00am-1.00pm) |
During the session you will receive information about Demand Avoidance, or PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance), helping to build your understanding of the day to day difficulties experienced by someone with this presentation of autism. The anxiety which affects these children often causes them to behave in ways which we perceive as negative or inappropriate. You will have the opportunity to think about the behaviours presented by the child you work with and to try and identify the communication behind them. We will then talk about adaptations which can be made to suit children who present with demand avoidant behaviour. |
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Location: Freemantles Dates 2025/26: Tuesday 2nd December Wednesday 11th February Wednesday 8th July (1.00-4.00pm) Thursday 26th March Wednesday 13th May (10.00am-1.00pm) |
During the session you will receive training on Autism Awareness, helping to build your understanding of the day to day difficulties experienced by someone with autism. We look at strategies tailored to pre-school and reception, including videos and example resources. These are intended to reduce anxiety, maximise communication, promote independence and increase engagement in learning. There will be the opportunity to talk to the Outreach Team about specific challenges which you face, and think about some strategies to support the child you work with. You will receive a resource pack containing some visual strategies which can be tailored to the individual child. |
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Location: Freemantles Dates 2025/26: Thursday 6th November Thursday 18th June (10.00am-1.00pm) |
There are different presentations of autism, known as ‘internal’ and external’ which, in the past, may have been associated with girls and boys. Children and young people with an internal presentation can fall ‘under the radar’ and not receive support until much later. During this session we will explore the signs to look out for and how our strategies can subtly differ. Anxiety is often a huge barrier for the all of our young people, leading to the need to mask, or shield, so we will also look at how anxiety can present for young people with autism and what we can do to help. There will be the opportunity to talk to the Outreach Team about specific challenges which you face and identify strategies to support the child you work with. |
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Location: Freemantles Dates 2025/26: Wednesday 5th November Wednesday 11th March Wednesday 10th June (10.00am-1.30pm)
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Aimed at professionals, parents, and family members of children with autism and other interested parties. Join our Executive Headteacher, Justin Price, to learn more about sensory processing differences in children with autism, how this manifests, and how to support these needs. We will also be looking specifically at the conditions ARFID (acute restrictive food intake disorder) and Pica (a medical term for the consuming of non-edible items) which can occur in children with autism. Learn about these conditions and the strategies that can be used to help. |
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Location: Freemantles Dates 2025/26: Two Wednesdays 18th and 25th March (9.30am-2.00pm)
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Session one: A look into the issues around context blindness faced by many of our young people and the social context teaching which is needed to help this. After lunch a training package designed to enable staff and parents to use Comic Strip Conversations effectively to support social understanding. Session two: The full Social Stories™ accredited training package, delivered on behalf of Carol Gray by members of the Freemantles Social Stories Satellite School. Social Stories are a social learning tool that supports the safe and meaningful exchange of information between parents, professionals, and people with autism of all ages. |
Professional tours
Tours for professionals around the unique environment of Freemantles School are held throughout the year.
Freemantles is a Surrey County Council school for children and young people with complex social communication needs, usually including a diagnosis of Autism and have developed a renowned understanding and specialism in this area. During the tour you will get to see classrooms throughout the school from Reception to Further Education. You will be able to see autism specific strategies in action and note how they change and progress through the school. From the Early Years structured play to F.E. vocational studies and everything in between. You will be shown round the school by one of the Autism Outreach team and they will be able to answer any questions you have.
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Dates 2025/26: Thursday 9th October Wednesday 15th October Thursday 4th December Thursday 29th January Thursday 23rd April Tuesday 7th July |
The tours start at 10am and take approximately two hours.
There is a £10 fee, to cover our costs.
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Bespoke Training for your setting
The Outreach team at Freemantles can provide INSET and twilight training tailored to your needs. This could be delivered to groups of staff or your whole staff team. Surrey schools and academies can access one free training session in your setting per year. Private schools and schools outside of Surrey can access this at a fee. Further information about fees for traded services can be found at: Autism Outreach for Schools - Traded Services.
To book bespoke training, please complete this form and return it to either your school’s link outreach teacher, or Anne-Marie Rose (Head of Autism Outreach for Schools); arose@freemantles.surrey.sch.uk
The information you provide will be used for the purposes of the administration of training bookings and will be shared in line with the Freemantles Privacy Notice for Training and Conferences (click here to read). We will not use your information for any other purpose unless we have your consent or the law allows us to do so. We are committed to protecting your information and will handle it in line with the Data Protection Act 2018. For further information about how we handle personal information and your rights, visit our website at: http://www.freemantles.surrey.sch.uk/Data-Protection/