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Welcome to our special back to school CAN network newsletter.
Whether it feels like the summer holiday has just begun, or you are counting down the days until school starts, we have ideas to help you plan for the new term ahead.
- Low-cost school uniform
- SEND friendly hairdressers
- 'Ready for School' storytime at your local library
- Berkshire Music Trust provision for children with additional needs
- Local Offer Live 2025
 Low-cost school uniforms
First Days low-cost uniform shop
Wokingham based charity, First Days, has extended the opening times of the low-cost school uniform shop for the summer holidays. The shop is open to all.
Tuesdays: 10am - 4pm
Thursdays: 10am - 6pm
3 The Courtyard, Wokingham, RG40 2AZ (next to Denmark Street Car Park).
Adaptive clothing
High street retailers and supermarkets are beginning to make adaptive clothing and uniforms available - including sensory friendly materials and seams, easy closures and feeding tube spaces.
Widely available, these lower cost options are a welcome development.
Searching online for "adaptive children's clothing" or "easy on easy wear sensory school uniform" will lead you to options from several locally available brands.
 Additional needs hairdressers
Busy salons, noisy dryers and access issues can sometimes mean that haircuts for those with additional needs can be stressful. There are local SEND-friendly hairdressers and barbers who might be a better fit for your child or young person:
Dawn's SEND Barber Service covers the Wokingham area and offers tailored appointments in your home. Visit Dawn's website for more information - including a visual story to help prepare for a visit.
SEN-friendly Mobile Hairdresser, Beckie Varndell offers a specialised service for families of SEND children and young people, and for adults with additional needs.
She is based in Woodley and is happy to travel to Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell, Slough, Maidenhead and surrounding areas. For more information visit her facebook page or email.
O'Neills Barbers in Twyford can provide sensory sensitive and bespoke/closed-door appointments if required; and have trained staff members with experience in SEN needs. Message them to discuss any additional requirements.
If you know of other services our CAN Network families could benefit from learning about please do let us know.
 Ready for school storytime
Wokingham Libraries are running special 'ready for school' story times for children starting reception in September.
These sessions offer a chance to meet and practice socialising with other children also starting school this year:
- Thursday 21 August at Woodley Library, 10am to 10.30am
- Tuesday 26 August at Lower Earley Library, 10am to 10.30am
- Wednesday 27 August at Wokingham Library, 10am to 10.30am
No booking required.
For more information, visit the Wokingham Libraries Events page.
 Support learning an instrument
Berkshire Music Trust offer instrumental and singing lessons in schools and music centres across the county.
If your child has additional needs, you may be entitled to support. Support is subject to case-by-case approval.
Approved students would usually receive an individual 20 minute lesson at the same cost as standard group lessons.
Additionally, BMT can offer fee assistance if your child is in receipt of Pupil Premium (PP), or your family is receiving tax credits like Universal Credit.
See the help with fees section of the BMT website for more information.
 Save the date - Local Offer Live 2025
SEND Voices will be hosting the Local Offer Live on Saturday 18 October.
It's a free event for families in Wokingham Borough who have a child or young person aged 0 to 25 with SEND.
There are two sessions to chose from, one at 10.30am to 12.30pm and the other at 1pm to 3pm. Both sessions take place at St Crispin's School Sports Hub, London Road, Wokingham, RG40 1SR.
Find out more about local support, our services and activities and speak directly with local organisations, including health services.
Children’s activities and refreshments will be available.
Book tickets online from 1 September.
Your local offer
Visit Wokingham's local offer webpage to find out what support is available locally for children and young people aged 0 to 25 with special educational needs and disabilities and their families.
Sign up to the local offer newsletter for news and updates.
Useful contacts
Parenting Special Children - set up to help other parents/carers navigate the world of SEND. Empowering families whose children/young people are neurodivergent and/or have special needs and/or disabilities including early life trauma.
Promise Inclusion - activities and groups for children with learning disabilities and/or autism. Activities for siblings.
SEND Voices Wokingham - an independent parent carer forum. Set up to ensure that families and carers of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and disabilities in the Wokingham Borough, can have a voice and participate fully in the development of services.
Wokingham Carers Partnership - A partnership of three commissioned local charities: Age UK Berkshire, Berkshire Youth and Promise Inclusion. Offering information, advice, and support to people throughout the borough who are caring for a child or adult family member, partner or friend.
What is the CAN Network?
The CAN (Children with Additional Needs) Network provides an information and support service for families and carers of children and young people (aged up to 25) with additional needs and disabilities.
The CAN Network also maintains Wokingham Borough Council’s Children with Disabilities Register and CAN Card.
The Children with Disabilities Register is a voluntary, confidential list of information about children with diagnosed disabilities in Wokingham Borough.
The information shared with us is used anonymously to help plan and improve future services to meet the needs of local disabled children and young people.
Those eligible to join the Children with Disabilities Register can receive a free CAN card.
The CAN card is a photo ID card which can be used as proof of diagnosed disability. It's accepted by many local attractions as proof for concessions or free carer tickets.
Find out more about signing up to the register and receiving a CAN card here.
Get in touch
For support using our online application or for any other enquiries please email.
Disclaimer
By sharing information with you the CAN information network is not providing a recommendation or endorsement of a service/organisation.
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