Waingels Launches BAKE to Support Young People Across Wokingham Borough

Orchard Learning Alliance is proud to celebrate the launch of BAKE, a new borough-wide Alternative Provision based at Waingels and developed in partnership with Wokingham Borough Council.

Building on the success of Waingels' established Succeed Centre, BAKE has been created to support young people who may benefit from a more personalised and vocational approach to learning. The provision will help students overcome barriers to education, rebuild confidence and develop the skills needed for future success.

Working closely with schools, families and external agencies, BAKE will offer tailored programmes that combine academic learning with practical opportunities to develop resilience, communication skills, positive learning behaviours and employability skills. The aim is to help students re-engage with education, achieve positive outcomes and realise their potential.

Importantly, BAKE increases the availability of high-quality local alternative provision across Wokingham Borough. By providing support closer to home, more young people can remain connected to their families, peers and local communities while accessing the education and support they need.

The launch reflects Waingels' long-standing commitment to inclusion and its belief that every young person deserves access to the right opportunities, regardless of their circumstances. It also demonstrates the confidence placed in the school to lead provision that will benefit students from across the borough.

Lindsey Humber, Headteacher at Waingels, said:

"We are proud to be leading BAKE on behalf of young people across Wokingham Borough. Building on the success of our existing provision, BAKE will provide tailored support for students who need a different pathway to re-engage with education, develop confidence and achieve positive outcomes. By offering this support closer to home, we can help more young people remain connected to their community while accessing the opportunities they need to succeed."

As part of its ongoing commitment to inclusive education, Waingels is also preparing to open The Thrive Centre, a specialist SEND provision that will further expand support available to young people locally.

For Orchard Learning Alliance, BAKE represents an important investment in vulnerable learners and in the wider community. By strengthening local provision and creating pathways for students to succeed, BAKE will help ensure that more young people can access the support they need, when they need it, within their own community.