Freddie Trinidad is former Principal Educational Psychologist to the Government of Gibraltar. He started teaching in 1970, qualified with distinction at Trinity and All Saints Colleges, and obtained an Honours Degree in Education from the University of Leeds. He subsequently studied Teaching English as a Foreign Language at La Sorbonne in Paris and started his postgraduate studies at the University of Bordeaux. In 1984 he obtained a Masters Degree in Educational and Child Psychology from the University of Nottingham where he spent two years working and studying under Professor Newson in the Child Development Research Unit.
He was the first Gibraltarian to qualify as an Educational Psychologist. His reputation and extensive experience as an educator, and indeed his 24 years working as a specialist psychologist with children, have earned him a reputation for attention to detail and sound clinical judgement. He has been directly involved in community issues such as the development of nursery provision, Child Protection, Adoption and Fostering, and preventing Domestic Abuse. He has also chaired the Assessment Panel, leading multi-agency teamwork and provision mapping for children with Special Needs.
As well as being an active member of the Association of Educational Psychologists and other professional networks (like EPNET and PEPS) Freddie is a Member of the Institute of Linguists (M.I.L.), a Chartered Educational and Child Psychologist (C. Psychol) an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (A.F.B.Ps S.) and a member of its Division of Educational and Child Psychology.
Research interests centre around the longitudinal educational screening study of all Gibraltarian children over the period 1985-2007. This includes readiness for school, early years development, reading and spelling standards, specific learning difficulties, ADHD and Gifted Pupils. He has collaborated with Professor Sawchuk from Toronto University on numerous projects relating to the effects of breastfeeding and smoking on the cognitive development of children. He has been a tutor on the Birmingham University courses on 'Autism' , and has tutored also for Sheffield Hallam University courses on Special Educational Needs. A keen presenter and excellent communicator, Freddie Trinidad has run numerous In-Service Training courses on a very wide variety of areas.
