Job Vacancy: We are looking for an Operations Manager. Do you have strong organisational skills and a passion for supporting children with special needs?
Read More →Welcome to
Full-Day Holiday Clubs for Children with Special Needs
A caring, happy and friendly environment for children who cannot access mainstream holiday clubs. Held at Addington School, Woodley, Reading during Easter and Summer holidays.
🏫 Our Venue
Addington School, Woodley RG5 3EU
Since
2002
Who we are
Thumbs Up Club has been in operation since 2002. The charity was formed in 2005 and developed from the Addington Holiday Club. We are a registered charity whose full name is Activity Club for Children with Special Needs (Berkshire).
We provide a full-day holiday club for children with special needs, relying entirely upon voluntary donations, grants, and parent subscriptions. The operating committee is made up of a small number of people — all with full-time jobs, all with children with special needs — providing their time on a voluntary basis.
Thumbs Up Club does not have any formal links with Wokingham Borough Council or any other local council. We are registered with Ofsted and serve families across Wokingham, Reading, Bracknell, Windsor and Ascot.
Easter Club — 6 to 8 days over the Easter holiday. 9:30am–4:00pm daily.
Summer Club — 15-20 days during August. 9:30am–4:00pm daily.
Join the fun
2025
Wed 9 April – Wed 16 April 2025
6 days over Easter
9:30am – 4:00pm daily
Children collected promptly at 4pm
Addington School
Woodlands Avenue, Woodley, Reading RG5 3EU
£30 per day
Transport available from £10/day (Wokingham & Woodley area)
2026
Starting Monday 3 August 2026
3 weeks · 15 days in total
9:30am – 4:00pm daily
Children collected promptly at 4pm
Addington School
Woodlands Avenue, Woodley, Reading RG5 3EU
£60 per day
Costs & booking
All booking requests must be made online. You will be asked to provide details about your child, medical information, and preferred days. Ensure registration forms are completed fully so we can assess the level of support needed.
View dates ↑We aim to review all booking requests within 10-12 days after bookngs have closed. You will receive an email confirming which days we can accommodate your child.
🗑️ Check your spam/junk folder
Once notified your booking has been accepted, payment must be made online within 3 days. If using Childcare Vouchers you must provide proof of payment e.g. scanned receipt. Card payments are processed securely via Stripe.
✅ Childcare Vouchers accepted
The Disabled Children's Team in Wokingham, the Learning Difficulties and Disability team in Reading, or your local council equivalent may be able to assist with funding for children whose parents would otherwise be unable to afford the daily fee. We need to raise in excess of £70,000 per year to cover costs — if you can help with fundraising or know of any Trusts or Foundations, please contact us.
Ready to join us?
We're currently heavily oversubscribed but please do join our waiting list — we do our very best to help every family.
Your child's welfare comes first
We maintain a very high staff ratio of 1 staff per 2 children, with a Club Manager, Assistant Manager, and 2 Supervisors on site at all times. All staff have DBS checks and many have undergone specialist training including administering emergency medication and gastrostomy.
The club is based at Addington School — a purpose-built school for children with additional needs. The premises are safe and secure, and we have access to all outside play areas which are equally secure.
Personal care plans are written by the management team for every club member, based on registration form information. These cover behaviour, feeding requirements, personal care, medical needs, medication, and each child's individual likes and dislikes.
Ofsted's most recent inspection in 2019 rated us as Outstanding. All staff take part in an induction training course and are briefed every morning on the children attending that day — medical details, behaviour, and feeding requirements are all discussed.
Read the 2019 Ofsted Report (PDF) →A purpose-built school for children with additional needs. The premises are safe, secure, and include access to fully secure outside play areas. The school is located at Woodlands Avenue, Woodley, Reading RG5 3EU.
Please read carefully
We want every child to have a wonderful time. Your co-operation on the following points is essential.
Work at Thumbs Up Club
Part-time position available
Thumbs Up Club is urgently seeking a part-time Office Manager to join our small team. This role is crucial in ensuring the smooth running of our organisation, allowing us to continue providing vital support to families with children who have additional needs. The ideal candidate will be highly organised, proactive, and passionate about making a difference in the lives of our families.
The Operations Manager will work alongside the Club Manager and be responsible for recruitment, administration, invoicing, parent communication, and day-to-day coordination. This is a hands-on, detail-oriented role for someone who finds satisfaction in getting things right, keeping things organised, and making life easier for the people around them.
The role offers flexible working hours totalling around 12 hours per month when club is not running, rising to around 24 hours per month during February, March, and April then again in June, July, and August.
To learn more about the role, and how to apply, click the link below to request a full job description.
Stay in the loop
Summer Club 2026 will run for 3 weeks starting 3 August. Emails are being sent to all families. Please check your spam folder! We are trying hard to help waiting-list families but are heavily oversubscribed.
We need your help, your ideas, and your action. Donate via Stripe or Just Giving, volunteer your time, or help connect us with Trusts and Foundations. Every bit of help truly matters.
Read the full appeal →Looking for holiday work and enjoy working with children with additional needs? We'd love to hear from you! Email personnel@thumbsupclub.co.uk to apply.
Please keep an eye on your spam/trash folder so you don't miss emails from us!