The Glade, Wokingham

A new Post-16 SEND hub for Wokingham, opening in 2026

Find out more here

Activate Learning is working in partnership with Wokingham Borough Council to develop a new Post-16 SEND and Alternative Provision hub called The Glade, due to open in September 2026.

The Glade will be created through the redevelopment of the former Wokingham Library on Denmark Street. Once complete, it will provide a secure, modern and supportive learning environment for young people who need a more personalised and specialist approach to education.

Supporting young people to thrive

The Glade will support learners aged 16–25 with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) who benefit from smaller learning environments, therapeutic support and tailored pathways into adulthood, employment and independent living.

Learning will be built around each individual, recognising strengths, interests and aspirations. The provision will offer three pathways, allowing learners to progress at their own pace and in a way that works for them.

What The Glade will offer:

Learners and families can expect a person-centred approach alongside a core learning programme (English, maths and digital literacy), including:

  • Three tailored curriculum pathways focused on:
    • Engagement and confidence-building
    • Developing skills for gaining employment, including Supported Internships and Apprenticeships
    • Academic progression
  • Integrated therapeutic and pastoral support, such as counselling, outreach and family engagement
  • A learner-led commercial café, providing real-world work experience and industry-recognised qualifications
  • Wellbeing focus, with health, fitness and self-care embedded
  • Work experience, project-based learning, and work placements
  • Personalised transition planning, starting six months before learners join The Glade
  • Strong employer links, building on existing partnerships with organisations including Amazon, National Grid, Johnson & Johnson and Royal Berkshire Hospital

Experience you can trust

Activate Learning delivers the UK’s largest SEND provision and has a strong, well-established record of supporting learners to achieve positive outcomes. This includes 98% retention of high-needs learners and up to 80% progression into paid employment through Supported Internships.

The Glade will build on this expertise, working alongside wider college facilities and education, employment and therapeutic specialist partners, to broaden curriculum choices, progression routes and real-world opportunities.

By extending specialist provision locally, the Glade will help meet growing demand and ensure more young people can access the right support closer to home, within their own communities.

Looking ahead

This new Post-16 SEND hub reflects Activate Learning’s commitment to inclusive education and to creating learning environments where every young person feels supported, valued and able to succeed.

How are learners referred to The Glade?

Referrals will be made through the local authority EHCP process and considered by a multi-agency admissions panel via statutory consultation under Section 39, with decisions made in line with the SEND Code of Practice to ensure appropriate support and funding are in place before a learner starts. To seek further information regarding referrals, please email wokinghamhub@activatelearning.ac.uk

The Glade will work closely with Wokingham Borough Council, schools, families and professionals to ensure learners are placed where the provision is the best fit for their needs.

Further details about referral pathways will be shared closer to The Glade's opening.

The Glade supports Activate Learning’s Extraordinary Learning strategy and its commitment to inclusive education and its ambition to expand high-needs provision where communities need it most.

For more information, or to apply for a place at The Glade, Wokingham, please complete the form below.

Expression of Interest Form

Questions about The Glade, Wokingham

The hub is designed for young people aged 16–25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) who need a more personalised, specialist or therapeutic approach to learning, including those who may be disengaged from education, benefit from SEMH-informed support, or may not thrive in larger or more traditional post-16 settings.

The Glade is scheduled to open in September 2026, welcoming its first cohort of learners.

The Glade will be based in the former Wokingham Library on Denmark Street, which is being redeveloped into a modern, secure and purpose-built learning environment.

Learning at The Glade will be tailored to each individual and organised around three main pathways:

  • Engagement – building confidence, independence and readiness for learning
  • Employment – including Supported Internships and preparation for paid work
  • Academic progression – supporting learners to achieve recognised qualifications

Examples of subjects and qualifications will be...

A range of vocational subjects such as motor vehicles, multi-trades, beauty, health and childcare, digital and media, sport and fitness and retail and catering. These vocational subjects will be offered alongside a core curriculum of self-awareness and development, personal coaching, mentoring and individual aspiration and goal setting. English and maths via GCSE, Functionals skills and small English and maths modules will be a key feature in all study programmes. Work experience and employability skills will also be a core component of any study programme offered. Each study programme will be designed, as far as possible, to the young persons interested, aspirations and goals.

Learners may move between pathways as their confidence, skills and goals develop.

Learners will benefit from integrated therapeutic and pastoral support, including counselling, outreach and family engagement. Each learner will have a personalised plan that brings together education, wellbeing and preparation for adulthood.

Transition planning will begin six months before a learner starts at The Glade. This includes close collaboration with families, schools, local authority teams and other professionals to ensure a smooth and supported move into post-16 education.

Yes. The Glade will include a learner-led commercial café, offering real-world work experience and industry-recognised qualifications. Learners will also benefit from strong employer links and Supported Internship opportunities.

Activate Learning works with a wide range of employers, including Amazon, National Grid, Johnson & Johnson and Royal Berkshire Hospital, alongside many local and regional partners.

The Glade will initially support around 12 learners, with plans to grow to more than 40 learners by 2028 as the provision develops.

More information will be shared here as The Glade develops, including details on referrals and admissions.

Families cannot apply directly to The Glade; placements will be agreed through the learner’s EHCP and local authority commissioning process, with referrals considered by a multi-agency admissions panel via statutory consultation under Section 39, and decisions made in line with the SEND Code of Practice to ensure appropriate support and funding are in place before a learner starts.

The Glade may be a great fit if your young person:

  • Has an EHCP and requires a more specialist or therapeutic learning environment
  • Benefits from small group sizes and a personalised approach
  • Is working towards greater independence, employment or further learning
  • Has found it difficult to thrive in larger or more traditional education settings

The Glade is designed to support young people to develop confidence, skills and independence at a pace that works for them, while preparing for adulthood and future opportunities.