Wokingham Borough Connect
Happy New Year from Wokingham Adult Education! Now that 2025 is here, are you ready to kick off "New Year, New Me"? How about diving into a shiny new skill or polishing up the ones you already have for work or life?
Make 2025 your year of awesomeness! Check out our fantastic courses below and get ready to shine!
To find out more information about all of our courses on offer check out our website through the link below. There is details around eligibility for courses below and on our website.
Build your confidence to get into work or volunteering
- 8 January to 29 January, Wednesdays 10.30am to 12pm, online via Zoom
- Free course
- Apply here
Getting into work or volunteering after a break for any reason, or for the first time in a new country, can be daunting. This course will help you to identify all the strengths and qualities you have that employers want and look at ways to expand your experience through volunteering or further learning while building your confidence to take the next steps.
Maths for the Workplace
Refresh your basic work maths skills with our online courses for specific industries including construction, health and social care, hair and beauty, business and administration, sport, and hospitality and catering.
After an initial tutor led interactive session, you’ll have access to an online course which you can work through at your own pace and focus on areas you’d like to improve. A follow up session with a tutor is available for those who would like one.
Excel for Beginners
- 13 January to 10 February, Mondays 10.15am to 12.15pm, Wokingham Library
- £30 - free to those on jobseeking benefits or low incomes
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Apply here
Learn to use and create simple spreadsheets. Gain confidence in entering and sorting data and discover how you can use Excel for basic data and budgets.
Word for Work
- 13 January to 10 February, Mondays 1pm to 3pm, Wokingham Library
- £30 - free to those on jobseeking benefits or low incomes
- Apply here
On this course you will learn specific more advanced Word skills such as creating customised Word forms, inserting logos, creating and customising templates, developing a report template, performing a simple mail merge, and advanced formatting skills. Suitable for those who have completed our Word for Beginners course or are proficient in skills listed on our website (see link above).
Money Matters (UK pay system)
- 13 January, Monday 6.30pm to 8.30pm, Bradbury Centre, Wokingham
- Free to those eligible
- Apply here
This course will look at the basics of how employees are paid within the UK. You will gain an understanding of the terms used on a pay slip, the importance of payslip security and deductions such as national insurance.
Digital Skills for Beginners - First steps in iPads and the internet
- 14 January to 11 February, Tuesdays 10am to 12pm, Cornerstone Wokingham
- Free course
- Apply here
A beginners course to help you feel comfortable using your iPad / tablet. The course covers:- use of settings, connecting securely to a WIFI network, swipe actions and the virtual keypad, using the App Store and internet browser.
Terrific Timestables
- 14 January, Tuesday 9.30am to 11.30am, Oakwood Centre, Woodley
- Free course
- Apply here
Gain confidence in how to support your children with learning their timestables and the fun ways you can support them at home. Discover the different methods taught in school and expectations for each year group including the year 4 national timestables test.
Understanding Teenage Anxiety
- 15 January to 22 January, Wednesdays 7.30pm to 9pm, online via Zoom
- £15 or free to those on jobseeking benefits or a low income
- Apply here
Aimed at parents of secondary school pupils, this course looks at how anxiety presents in teenagers, and techniques that can be used to reduce its impact. The course aims to help you develop a selection of coping strategies as well as giving you a better understanding of the causes of teenage anxiety and ways of building resilience.
Excel for Budgeting
Have you thought about using Excel for your own personal budgeting? Learn how to manage what you spend against your income or budget using basic formatting and maths functions in Excel. This is aimed at learners with a basic knowledge of using Excel.
Introduction to being a Teaching Assistant and Working in Schools
- 16 January to 13 February, Thursdays 12.30pm to 2.30pm, Oakwood Centre, Woodley
- £40 - free to those on jobseeking benefits or low incomes
- Apply here
Find out more about different roles available in schools and gain an understanding of how to apply for roles. Explore your own strengths and weaknesses in your transferable skills and build your confidence to apply for roles in schools.
Introduction to Working in Care or the NHS
- 16 January to 13 February, Thursdays 12.30pm to 2.30pm, FBC Centre, Finchampstead
- £40 or free to those on jobseeking benefits or a low income
- Apply here
Interested in working in the NHS or in the care sector? This course will look at different roles available and explore ways of gaining transferable skills or experience to start working in these sectors.
Fun with Time
Gain confidence in how to support your children with telling the time and the fun ways you can support their learning at home. Discover the different methods used to teach time in school and the expectations of each year group.
Design and format a CV using Word
- 17 January, Friday 10.30am to 1pm, online via Zoom
- £10 or free to those on jobseeking benefits or low incomes
- Apply here
Learn how to create your CV or resume using both a functional and chronological approach, that is both eye-catching and professional. Explore using Word to create a cover letter to match.
Money Matters (UK taxation, pensions and budgeting skills)
- 20 January, Monday 6.30pm to 8.30pm, Bradbury Centre, Wokingham
- Free to those eligible
- Apply here
You will learn the basics of the UK tax system and work-based pensions. The course will also touch on budgeting and money management skills, key differences between debit and credit and where you can go to if you need support with any money concerns you may have.
Money Management
- 21 January to 11 February, Tuesdays 7pm to 8.30pm, online via Zoom
- Free to those eligible
- Apply here
Do you need help with your household budgeting? This course supports you to understand household spending and looks at ways of managing a household budget. It looks at the value of planning in advance, considers typical spending habits as well how to assess promotions and deals.
Maths for ESOL
- 22 January, Wednesday 7pm to 8pm, online via Zoom or 4 February, Tuesday 7pm to 8pm
- Free to those eligible
- Apply here
Learn essential English maths-based topics such as Time and Money. Learn the maths words used in the UK, what they mean and how you can use them to improve your overall English. After an initial session you can work online at your own pace.
Introduction to Reception and KS1 Phonics, Reading, Writing and Spelling
- 27 January to 10 February, Mondays 9.30am to 12pm, Maiden Place Community Centre, Lower Earley
- £20 or free to those on job seeking benefits or low incomes
- Apply here
Gain confidence in how to support your child’s phonics, reading, writing, and spelling at home. Understand how these are taught in Reception and KS1 in schools today. Become clearer on what is expected by the end of each year including the Year 2 phonics screening.
Building Resilience in your Child
- 27 January to 3 February, Mondays 7pm to 8.30pm, online via Zoom
- £15 or free to those on jobseeking benefits or a low income
- Apply here
Coping with emotions is important for happiness and wellbeing. Help your child recognise, understand and accept feelings and to express them in appropriate ways. Learn to help your primary school aged child to deal with negative feelings and cope with stressful life events over a two-session course.
Love Food Hate Waste
- 29 January to 12 February, Wednesdays 9.30am to 11.30am, Oakwood Centre, Woodley
- Free to those eligible
- Apply here
Do you want to learn how to make the most out of the food you buy and cook? This course will explore practical tips to get more from your food. It will cover ways to reduce waste and save money, healthy eating, and meal preparation.
Sensory Maths
Gain confidence in how to support children’s maths learning through multi-sensory methods. Explore the different methods and resources that can be used to support learning both at home and at school.
This course is open to all parents or carers of children who may find maths difficult or those with children with SEND.
Help your Child with Maths
- 30 January, Thursday 7.30pm to 8.30pm online via Zoom
- Free course
- Apply here
Would you like to improve your everyday maths skills and help your children with their maths learning? After an initial introduction session, you can work at your own pace online using whenever you have a spare moment.
Social Media for Job Searching
- 5 February, Wednesday 10.30am to 1pm, online via Zoom
- £10 or free to those on jobseeking benefits or low incomes
- Apply here
Learn how you can use social media as a research tool, to find jobs and look for opportunities within the local area. Gain confidence in using Facebook groups and following useful social media threads or sites. Explore networking on LinkedIn and finding video tutorials and support on social media sites.
Introduction to Reception and KS1 Maths
Gain confidence in supporting your child with their maths learning in Reception to Year 2. Covering the key maths language, techniques and skills your child will be taught during maths lessons including the ways you can support your children at home. This course is practical with plenty of resources your child will be using at school for you to explore.
Mixing up Maths
- 6 February, Thursday 9.30am to 11.30am, Earley Crescent Resource Centre
- Free course
- Apply here
Cooking with your child is a great way to use maths in a practical way at home. From measuring to fractions - this session will help you gain confidence in your own maths skills and inspire you how to share these with your child.
Creating and Delivering Presentations
- 12 February and 26 February, Wednesdays 10.30am to 1pm, online via Zoom
- £15 - free to those on job seeking benefits or low incomes
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Apply here
Learn to use PowerPoint and create simple presentations. Gain confidence in presenting information in an engaging way and find out how you can use it for work or personal use.
Introduction to KS2 Maths
Gain confidence in supporting your child with their maths learning in KS2 (Year 3 to Year 6). Covering the key language, techniques and skills your child will be taught during maths lessons, including the ways you can support your children at home. This course is practical with plenty of resources your child will be using for you to explore including information covering the end of KS2 SATs.
Unlocking the Numbers
- 10 March to 31 March, Mondays 7pm to 8.30pm, online via Zoom
- Free course
- Apply here
This course will support learners to understand the financial terms used in businesses. This is suitable for anyone who wishes to feel more confident with numbers used within business or those wishing to practice these skills for their day-to-day job.
Help with your Maths
- 11 March, Tuesday 7.30pm to 8.30pm, online via Zoom
- Free course
- Apply here
Refresh basic maths skills used in everyday life and work including fractions, percentages, ratios, probability and lots more. The course will help you assess your current skill level and identify areas you can improve your maths skills further.
After an initial tutor led interactive session, you’ll have access to an online course which you can work through at your own pace and focus on areas you’d like to improve. A follow up session with a tutor is available for those who would like one.
Eligibility and costs
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To be eligible for Adult Education courses, you need to:
Live or work within the Wokingham Borough, or have a child attending a Wokingham school,
- AND be over 19 years old (as of 31st August 2024)
- AND be a UK or Irish citizen or a non-UK national with permission to live in the UK and have ordinarily been resident in the UK for at least 3 years
All Ukrainian adults and their family members supported through the Ukraine Family Scheme and Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme are immediately eligible for courses and are exempt from the 3-year residency requirement.
Learners with a BN(O) visa are eligible to apply for Community Learning courses immediately.
There are a number of other exemptions including those for some asylum seekers or refugees. Please email us or call 0118 974 3797 if you wish to discuss any exemptions further.
Some courses are free and those courses that have a cost are free for anyone who is in receipt of Universal Credit (work related), Employment Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance, or are on low income (under £22,000). Please contact us with any queries around costs.
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