The Autism Summer School is for year 11 students with autism and a parent/carer to stay at the University. This residential gives autistic students and their parent/carer the chance to experience university life. The event also aims to equip students with some of the skills to ease their transition to the next stage of their educational journey.

The 2025 event will take place from Friday 1st to Saturday 2nd August.

Where will I be staying?

You will be staying in our on-campus student accommodation. You and your parent/carer will each get your own lockable bedroom which will be en-suite (so you won’t be required to share a bedroom and you’ll get your own bathroom). Bed linen, pillows, duvets and towels will all be provided in your accommodation. Students and their parent/guardian attending the residential will be in rooms next-door to each other. Your rooms will only be able to be accessed by your own personal key card, ensuring your safety. Further information about the accommodation can be found on the accommodation webpages.

What should I bring?

You should pack clothes, toiletries, and any medication you take. It may also be useful to bring a hairdryer (if you need one), something for you to do when you have free time and a notebook and pen. A kit list will be provided closer to the date. However, do not overpack as it is only for 2 days!

What will I be eating?

Breakfast and dinner will be provided in our on-campus catering outlets and a packed lunch will be provided on each day. There will always be a choice of foods and we can cater for most special diets. If you have any food preferences or concerns that you would like us to cater for, please do let us know. Please notify us, in advance if you require a specific diet (vegan, vegetarian, dairy –free, gluten-free, Halal, etc). Meals are provided free of charge.

How much does this cost?

As part of the programme, accommodation and food is subsided by the University so it is provided to you free of charge for both the student and guest.

Who will be looking after me?

You will be looked after by members of university events staff and our friendly student ambassadors. Our student ambassadors are fully experienced in running these programmes and some of the ambassadors have lived experiences of transitioning to university as an autistic young person. All of the events staff and ambassadors have Enhanced DBS checks.

Will I have free time?

Yes! You will have free time to socialise with other students on the programme if you wish to do so. There will also be time to explore the campus. We will run optional free-time activities on late Friday afternoon/evening which would be great for you to attend and there will also be time to relax in your room or chill-out in an outdoor space.

Can I bring my mobile phone/electronics?

Of course! Feel free to bring what you feel you need for the duration of the programme. You will be able to connect to WIFI when you are on campus.

What if I don’t know anyone else coming?

That is perfectly fine. Many of the students on the programme will not know anyone else when they first arrive. It is a great opportunity to meet new people and make friends. We run social events with your guest to allow you to get to know others on the programme. If you feel worried about anything or lonely then please let one of our ambassadors know and they will support you with this.

What free time activities will there be in the evening?

There will be board games and card games available for you to play. The games we have on offer will include Cluedo, Uno, Exploding Kittens and Dobble. We will email you with a full list of the board games we have on offer a week before the event. However, if you don’t like something from the list, feel free to bring a board game along that you would like to play – just make sure it doesn’t take too long to play (we would advise you only bring board games that take an hour or less). There will also be the option for you to watch a film. The film that we show will be decided on the day as it depends on what we have available, but we will select a few films and let people vote on which they would prefer to watch.

We will also provide colouring pencils and paper (including outlines to colour in) so you will have the option to do some drawing or colouring in the evening. Alternatively, if you would prefer to have some time to yourself, these activities are not compulsory, and you are welcome to go back to your room at any time.

What if I have questions?

If you have any questions, please contact us at: campus-events-team@bath.ac.uk