Dingley’s Promise in Reading

At the centre, we have an experienced team of practitioners who take the time to adapt and evolve our environments to meet the needs of each child. 

The centre is laid across two floors, each with a calming sensory room and a large open-plan space for children to explore and enjoy.

Our top floor playroom has been specially tailored to support our children with autism or social communication needs, whilst our ground floor playroom has been adapted to accommodate physical needs. 

Our Family Room is a calming space where families can attend parenting workshops, family support sessions or confidential meetings. 

We have a lovely garden area with a range of sensory resources and equipment to challenge our children; it has an accessible swing, mud kitchen area and playhouse to encourage physical development and offers the freedom to explore.

Our Reading Centre Provides

• Dedicated family support for centre children and families in the community.
• Stay-and-play sessions for families to enjoy the resources and environment with their children.
• Family Support Worker, who is key to maintaining contact and supporting both in the centres and with outreach support.
• Playschemes and engaging child-tailored activities throughout the holidays to provide respite for families, with the support of our specialist staff.

We welcome you to visit the centre, meet the team and see the wonderful opportunities we can offer your child.

Hannah Goddard: Centre Manager

Hannah joined Dingley back in 2011 as an early years practitioner and worked her way through various roles before becoming centre manager at Reading. She qualified with the NNEB in 1998 and shortly after became a nanny caring for children in their homes, including those with a range of medical needs. Having grown up in a large family with parents who fostered, being around others with a variety of needs and disabilities has always been her norm. Now as a mum to a young autistic adult she is as passionate as she has ever been to understand and advocate for neurodiversity. Hannah believes a happy child is a child who is ready to learn, and loves to continue developing her knowledge. She loves working at Dingley’s Promise and making a difference to families and children with SEND.

Jackie Rutland: Deputy Manager

Jackie is NVQ level 2 and 3 qualified. She worked in a variety of nursery settings for 15 years before taking a break from childcare. Jackie returned to the sector in 2022 and has worked for Dingley’s Promise, progressing from an early years practitioner to deputy centre manager. As a mum of four, lots of her free time is spent having fun with her family and guiding them through their own school and work journeys. Her passion is to help give children the best start and support their families. Jackie loves that no day is ever the same and enjoys the challenges that each day brings.

Kathryn Wroe: Family Support Worker

Kathryn has a BSc in Psychology and has researched autism. She also has a Masters in Positive Psychology and in the past has used this knowledge within her role as a 1:1 carer for children with SEND. She is now very excited to be the family support worker for Reading centre as it enables her to help families and parents that need support, and to use her knowledge from previous studies and roles. Due to working very closely with families of children with SEND, Kathryn understands the importance of a friendly face and being able to access support when needed.