Upcoming Courses
We’re excited to announce a fantastic lineup of courses starting in 2026! Be sure to check out our new courses:
Our Preparing for Life in the UK courses are also returning this term, with courses in Wokingham and Woodley. In addition to advertised courses there are learning opportunities for Maths, English and English as a Second Language learners - details of how to apply to us for an assessment are below.
Don’t miss out on these amazing opportunities! Click the links and apply now to secure your place.
Excel for Beginners
- 12 January to 9 February, Mondays 1pm to 3pm, Wokingham Library
- £30 or free to those on job seeking benefits or a low income
- 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.
Building your confidence to get into work or volunteering
- 14 January to 4 February, Wednesdays 10am to 12.00pm, online via Zoom
- Free course
- Apply here
This supportive course will help you to identify all the strengths and qualities you have that employers want and help you to understand how to look for solutions to challenges of working or volunteering to enable you to take the next steps you’d like to do.
Introduction to being a Teaching Assistant in schools
- 15 January to 5 February, Thursdays 9.30am to 12.30pm, School Green, Shinfield
- £40 or free to those on job seeking benefits or a low income
- Apply here
On this course you will learn about the roles and responsibilities of a Teaching Assistant, as well as gaining an understanding of other roles working with children. Gain confidence in applying to roles in schools and employability skills. You'll also gain an understanding of safeguarding in relation to schools.
We will also be running another course from 26 February to 19 March at Oakwood Centre, Woodley Apply here.
Prepare for Life in the UK
- 21 January to 11 February, Wednesdays 1pm to 3pm, Wokingham Library, Apply here
- 21 January to 11 February, Wednesdays 7pm to 9pm, Oakwood Centre, Woodley, Apply here
- 3 February to 3 March, Tuesdays 10am to 12pm, Oakwood Centre, Woodley, Apply here
- 3 February to 3 March, Tuesdays 1pm to 3pm, Oakwood Centre, Woodley, Apply here
Are you interested in expanding your knowledge of UK citizenship? Join us for a comprehensive four week course where we will explore the themes of UK citizenship. Engage in discussions and practice your spoken English in a welcoming and friendly atmosphere. There are four courses to choose from - all covering the same content.
Empower You!
- 21 January to 25 February, Wednesdays 10am to 12pm, Cornerstone, Wokingham
- £30 or free to those on job seeking benefits or a low income
- Apply here
Understand how to shine and impress colleagues and friends by using communication in a confident manner. Know your personality and how to work with others in a work or social setting, learn how to be assertive and use it effectively where you are motivated and empowered for the next step. Ideal for those looking to build self confidence to help with future plans!
Employability in the age of AI
- 21 January, Wednesdays 10am to 12pm, School Green Centre, Shinfield
- Free course
- Apply here
Unlock the power of AI in your job search! Whether you're re-entering the workforce, transitioning careers, or seeking your next opportunity, you'll gain practical and user-friendly strategies for making AI your personal career assistant and learn tips for jobseeking.
Master Photo Skills on your iPad
- 28 January to 11 February, Wednesdays 10am to 12pm, School Green Centre, Shinfield
- £22.50 or free to those on job seeking benefits or a low income
- Apply here
Unlock the full potential of your iPad’s camera and photo editing tools in this hands-on course. Whether you're capturing everyday moments or enhancing your favourite shots, you'll gain the skills needed to:
- Take high-quality photos with your iPad
- Import and organise images with ease
- Edit and enhance photos using built-in tools
- Share your creations effortlessly
This course is perfect for beginners and is also a great next step for those who have completed the Unlock the Full Potential of Your iPad. No prior experience needed, just bring your creativity! Join us and start capturing stunning photos with confidence.
Digital Safety for iPads and iPhones
- 30 January to 13 February, Fridays 10am to 12pm, Wokingham Library
- £23 or free to those on job seeking benefits or a low income
- Apply here
Stay confident and secure while using your Apple devices. This course helps you understand how to protect your personal information, manage passwords safely, recognise suspicious messages, adjust privacy settings, and keep your device running securely.
Whether you’re connecting with family, shopping online, or using apps and email, this course gives you the skills to enjoy your digital life with peace of mind and independence. There's an additional course running in March on Fridays at Wokingham Library. More details here.
Building Resilience and Anxiety in Teenagers
- 5 February and 12 February, Tuesdays 7.30pm to 9pm, Online via Zoom
- £15 or free to those on job seeking benefits or a low income
- Apply here
Aimed at parents of secondary school pupils, this course looks at how stress and anxiety present themselves in teenagers, and at strategies for building resilience. The course looks at the causes of teenage anxiety and addresses a range of coping strategies and methods for reducing its impact.
Help! Homework
- 10 February, Tuesday 10am to 12pm, Oakwood Centre, Woodley
- £15 or free to those on job seeking benefits or a low income
- Apply here
Improve your own confidence in supporting their learning by understanding the different methods and resources that can be used to support learning both at home and at school. This course is ideal for parents of primary aged children who are unfamiliar with the curriculum or who wish to know what language or methods to use to support their children’s homework.
IT Skills for Work
- 23 February to 23 March, Mondays 10.15am to 12.15pm, Wokingham Library
- £30 or free to those on job seeking benefits or a low income
- Apply here
Refresh or learn new IT skills, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint to help you at work or on your job seeking journey. Practice file management, use simple documents, email attachments and feel more confident with IT skills that you might need for work.
Excel for Work
- 23 February to 23 March, Mondays 1pm to 3pm, Wokingham Library
- £30 or free to those on job seeking benefits or a low income
- Apply here
Covers everyday formulas and techniques for summarising and sorting data to produce reports. This course builds on essential skills that you will need using Excel in the workplace. Suitable for those who have completed the Excel for Beginners course or those who use Excel in the workplace already.
Creating and Delivering Presentations
- 25 February and 4 March, Wednesdays 10am to 12.30pm, Online via Zoom
- £15 or free to those on job seeking benefits or a low income
- 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.
Resilience in Primary aged Children
- 25 February and 4 March, Wednesdays 7.30pm to 9pm, Online via Zoom
- £15 or free to those on job seeking benefits or a low income
- Apply here
Aimed at parents of primary aged schools, this course looks at building resilience in primary aged children and helping them deal with their emotions. Help your child recognise, understand and accept feelings and to express them in appropriate ways. Learn to help your child manage negative feelings and have a positive outlook.
Digital Skills for Beginners
- 26 February to 19 March, Thursdays 10am to 12pm, Wokingham Library
- Free course
- Apply here
Learn how to use a laptop, including accessing the internet and using email. Build confidence in your digital skills in a supportive environment. Suitable for complete beginners, laptop provided. Optional drop in sessions available as a follow on from this course for ongoing digital skills.
Maths and Adult Literacy
We can offer bespoke Maths sessions to those who have not gained a GCSE or Level 2 equivalent. Adult Literacy sessions are available to those with English as their first language and have not gained a GCSE or a Level 2 equivalent. These courses are arranged to suit learners needs, so we ask learners to get in touch with us and register, we'll then arrange a quick online assessment of their levels and arrange learning to suit.
English for Speakers of Other Languages
We run a range of English for Speakers of Other Languages courses from Pre Entry to Advanced - online and in community settings. Learners are offered courses to meet their needs, and there is a waiting list for some courses. Apply first, and then complete an online assessment to test your English levels so appropriate classes can be offered.
Contact us for a simple application form if you are supporting someone to apply who can not complete the online form.
Eligibility and Course Costs
Our courses are prioritised for those who live or work in Wokingham Borough, or those who have a child at a Wokingham school. Courses are either free or at a low cost with concessions for eligible learners. If you are unsure around eligibility - do get in touch.
Tailored Learning courses are funded by the Department for Education (DFE) through the Adult Skills Fund. Some free courses are part of the Legal Entitlement to access to English, Maths or Digital Skills for those who do not have a Level 2 qualification. For other courses the DFE requires the service to charge course fees to learners to contribute towards the cost of delivery.
Courses are free to those who are claiming benefits, those not working or those who are working and on a low wage (currently under £25,750 pa).
Courses are open to those who are:
19 or older on 31 August 2025 and who live and are resident in an area of England that is outside of a ‘devolved authority’ area.
Asylum seekers are eligible to receive funding if they: have lived in the UK for 6 months or longer while their claim is being considered by the Home Office – please contact adulteducation@wokingham.gov.uk for further details.
Individuals who are not eligible for DFE funding:
- those who are here without authority or lawful status
- those who are resident in the UK on a student visa unless they are eligible through meeting any other of the categories described above
- those who are in the UK on holiday, with or without a visa
- they are in the UK on a sponsorship visa
- those whose biometric residence permit or residence permit imposes a study prohibition or restriction on the individual.
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