Home educators

Sparking curiosity and learning through discovery.

Home Educators are always welcome at the Science Centre, with options for visiting in different ways to suit your preferences.

Monthly Home Educator Days are financially supported by the Science Centre charity, as are pre-booked Home Educator group visits. These give access to the same variety of planetarium shows and access to the Invention Studio as school children enjoy. Alternatively, consider an Annual Pass, which offers exceptional value for regular visitors.

See below for further information.

Monthly Home Educator Days

Monthly Home Educator days are available for individual families, including those bringing younger siblings.

Please note the Science Centre is still open to the public these days, but from 2pm the schools will have left and almost everyone in the venue is expected to be a Home Educator.

Home Educator ID is not required for entry before 3pm.

Children must be supervised at all times.

Home Educator groups must include:

At least one child of school age (5-18 yrs, or 4 yrs if their next birthday is 31 Aug or earlier).
One supervising adult

Home Educated children who look younger than school age may need to provide proof of age.
Younger siblings within the home-educated child’s family are welcome at the same special rate.

Home Educator family General Entry to the Hands-on Exhibition:

Child (3-18 yrs): £4.98
Child (0-2 yrs): free
Supervising adult: free (one per group)
Additional adults: standard rate

Additional activities: Prices below

Planetarium shows

The planetarium runs live shows and educational fulldome films. Note that only the shows listed below are eligible for the special rate and that these rates only apply to Home Educator groups. Additional adults pay standard rate.
Guardians should sit within easy reach of their children inside the dome. Due to darkness, visitors must remain seated unless it is necessary for them to leave.

There is no age restriction. However, please be aware that some younger siblings may find the planetarium rather overwhelming. By popular request, all these shows are Chatterbox Shows (unless otherwise stated), meaning children do not need to stay quiet, making it easier for the little ones. Just be aware you may need to exit if they don't enjoy the experience, and if so that other children may not be left unsupervised.

Advance booking is recommended

HOME EDUCATOR ONLINE BOOKING

Schedule (click for details)

10am

Doors Open

School groups will be present until 2pm (mustering downstairs from 1.45pm). The Science Centre is open to the public all day.

Arrival before 3pm: Home Educators can access the special rate at any time before 3pm (ie during school hours) simply by self-identifying as a Home Educator on arrival.

Arrival after 3pm: Home Educators will be asked to provide proof of status such as a letter from the LEA or a Home Educator card.

Children must be supervised at all times in the exhibition, planetarium and during activities.

2.30pm-4:00pm

Invention Studio Open!

Join our Master Inventors in the Invention Studio to try your hand at a variety of challenges related to engineering, programming and Newtonian physics. This area will be staffed specially for Home Educators and visitors on Home Educator days between 14:30 and 16:00 – usually this space is booked for School Groups during term–time.

3.10pm-3.40pm

Live, presenter-led planetarium show:

Magical Mystery Tour (+£2.10 per person)

4.00pm-4.30pm

Fulldome Film:

Wednesday 17 January - Astronaut (+£2.10 per person, fulldome planetarium film, SEN friendly)
Friday 2 February - Back to the Moon (+£2.10 per person, fulldome planetarium film, SEN friendly)
Wednesday 7 March - We Are Aliens (+£2.10 per person, fulldome planetarium film, SEN friendly)
Friday 20 April - Secret of the Cardboard Rocket (+£2.10 per person, fulldome planetarium film, SEN friendly)
Wednesday 16 May - We Are Stars (+£2.10 per person, fulldome planetarium film, SEN friendly)
Friday 15 June - Astronaut (+£2.10 per person, fulldome planetarium film, SEN friendly)
Friday 13 July - Secret of the Cardboard Rocket (+£2.10 per person, fulldome planetarium film, SEN friendly)

Autism friendly screening: There will be low lighting left on in the planetarium throughout the show, and sound levels will be set slightly lower than in normal public shows. Visitors are free to vocalise their enjoyment and as in all shows, staff will be close at hand to help anyone who needs to exit during the show.

4.30pm

Doors close

Future Home Educator Days

2018 Dates:

Wednesday 7 March
Friday 20 April
Wednesday 16 May
Friday 15 June
Friday 13 July

Enquiries: call 01962 863791 or email education@winchestersciencecentre.org

Your feedback on our home educator programme is always welcome. Please contact benlittlefield@winchestersciencecentre.org

Pre-booked Home Educator groups

Are you from a Home Educator group? Groups can pre-book in very much the same way as schools (outside of the school holidays) with planetarium shows and workshops booked on demand. Minimum 20 children, with one adult free for each three children. All children must be of school age.

You will need to have a designated group leader who will gather the group at the start of your visit, and make a single payment. See schools webpage for information about additional activities. You can use the normal online booking enquiry form, just put the name of your group rather than school, and use the comments box to let us know you are Home Educators.

Annual passes

Many of our Home Educator visitors buy annual passes to allow them to visit the exhibition whenever suits, and to take full advantage of all the free-with-entry special events that occur in holiday periods. Find out more here.