www.newdirectionsreading.co.uk0345 842 0012

Community LearningLeisure Courses

Health &Lifestyle

Arts & Crafts

Languages

British Sign Language LanguagesHealth & LifestyleDigital PhotographyArtCraftsCookeryCeramicsFashionUpholsteryPatchwork & Quilting

Welcome to the Community Learning guide. We hope you will find what you are looking for here & that we can help you explore a new interest, develop a hobby, keep you healthy or simply enjoy being around like minded people.

We work with a range of partners to offer a wide range of courses in a variety of locations. If you are a community stakeholder and have a group of learners wishing to undertake something you cannot find in our guide, please contact us as we may be able to provide what you’re looking for. We are very happy to discuss your requirements with you.

Welcome

Skills to grow or change your career...

Skills to grow or change your career...

InstalmentsFor courses lasting 10 weeks costing over £80.00, payment by standing order is available. You will need to pay 50% of the fee when you enrol and the remaining fees will be divided into four equal payments.

Helping you with feesFinancial assistance to cover course and material costs and help with the cost of childcare is available for customers who meet the eligibility requirements of our funders. Submitting an application does not guarantee that you will receive support. The scale of support may vary.

How are courses funded?The Skills Funding Agency provides the Community Learning (CL) budget which is £210 Million nationally. This budget has remainded unchanged for a number of years. Our community learning courses make use of this funding; typically this means that courses are subsidised by around 50%. Wherever possible our clear pricing policy means that fees are fully-inclusive, so that there are no surprises. Your tutor may suggest additional enrichment activities which may not be part of your scheduled course, such as an exhibition visit. These activities are optional and will incur additional costs.

Fees

LanguagesWe offer a range of Modern Foreign Languages including French, German, Arabic, Spanish and Italian. Other languages, such as Russian, Polish, Japanese etc, are offered on demand. All our foreign languages are mapped to The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), which is a guideline used to endorse achievement in language skills at all levels of competence of learners of foreign languages across Europe.

Health & LifestyleEnhance your lifestyle with courses in Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Massage and Fitness. Develop skills in Bridge by learning the basics of card play, hand evaluation and duplicate contract bridge using the standard English Bridge Bidding System.

British Sign LanguageBritish Sign Language (BSL) is the language used by the Deaf Community in the UK; it has its own grammar and syntax which are completely different from the grammatical rules of English. At New Directions we offer quality British Sign Language training aimed at beginners or more experienced learners. If you, or your business, are looking for a basic knowledge of communication issues affecting deaf people, you can choose from a range of courses on Deaf Awareness. These are shorter courses delivered at our main centres or can be tailored to your needs and delivered at your own premises.

Digital PhotographyDigital Photography captures the image focused by the lens, as opposed to an exposure on photographic film. The captured image is then stored as a computer file ready for viewing, editing or printing. Our courses will help you get the best from your camera and help you edit and correct the inevitable mistakes with the aid of computer software.

“I had always struggled learning a language on my own so I chose to join a beginners course at New Directions. Being on the course with other people at my level has helped to make learning a language fun again!”

ArtCovering all ranges of levels and abilities our art courses cater for everyone. Whether you are a complete beginner or experienced artist we can help you develop basic and specific skills in areas such as drawing, life drawing, watercolour and acrylic.

CeramicsCeramics have been an important part of human culture for thousands of years. Our classes will teach you varied techniques from pinch pots through to throwing using a potter’s wheel, using a variety of clays and glazes. All work is fired by our resident technician.

CraftsNew Directions offers a wide range of craft courses. You can learn to manipulate wire and decorative work using filigree and beads in one of our Jewellery classes. Or you can explore the traditional and ancient craft of felting using the technique of matting woollen fibres to make a cloth, which you then use to create your own personalised accessory.

CookeryMake the right choices in the kitchen and learn how to create healthy, interesting and tasty dishes with our Eat 4 Health programme run in partnership with NHS Berkshire.

Fashion On these courses you will learn basic design principles, sewing machine skills and how to use a variety of materials and media to produce design samples. You can then move on and research, design and produce a garment such as a skirt or trousers. These Fashion courses are accredited by City and Guilds.

Alongside the City and Guilds courses, we offer a range of courses to develop your sewing, garment and hat making skills.

UpholsteryUpholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing and fabric or leather covers. Traditional upholstery uses materials like coil springs, animal hair, coir, straw and hay, hessians, linen scrims and wadding. Modern upholsters employ synthetic materials like dacron, vinyl and serpentine springs. Our courses will teach you the craft of building each layer up until your project is complete.

Patchwork & QuiltingOriginally, patchwork used left-over scraps of fabric to make a quilt cover, but now fabric is often bought specially for a specific design. The quilt is formed of three layers: the patchwork, a layer of insulation wadding (batting) and a layer of backing material.

“I was struggling to find something to fill my time with when I decided to enrol on an Upholstery Course with New Directions. The other students in the class were so welcoming and the tutor was very knowledgable and supportive. I enjoyed the course so much I have continued doing Upholstery for many years!”

Online: www.newdirectionsreading.co.uk

By phone: 0345 842 0012

By post: Complete your application form and enclose a cheque for full payment and return to: The Customer Relations Team, New Directions South Reading, 330 Northumberland Avenue, Reading, RG2 8DH

Greater Reading Course Guide App: Download the new Greater Reading Course Guide App for Android from the New Directions website or scan the QR code

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How to enrol

New Directions Central Reading Centre2nd Floor, Reading Central Library, Abbey Square, Reading, RG1 3BQ

New Directions North Reading CentreArchway Road, Caversham, Reading, RG4 8HX

New Directions South Reading Centre330 Northumberland Avenue, Reading, RG2 8DH

New Directions at The Avenue Centre Conwy Close, Tilehurst, Reading, RG30 4BZ

Grow with your ambitions...

If you are patient, friendly and have 2 hours a week or more to help others to learn, then we would like to hear from you. Our volunteers work alongside our professional tutors giving extra help to our learners. No previous experience is needed. All volunteers complete a free training programme provided by New Directions.

Volunteering