Home educators
Sparking curiosity and learning through discovery.
Home educators are always welcome at the Science Centre, with different options available for visiting to suit your preferences.
Monthly Home Educator Days are financially supported by the Science Centre charity, as are pre-booked home education group visits. Alternatively, consider an Annual Pass, which offers exceptional value for regular visitors.
See below for further information.
Home Education Groups
Home education groups with a minimum of 20 children are eligible to book the brand new all-inclusive school trip package. Find out more about the schools offer here and follow the booking process outlined.
Home Educator Families
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 family 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.
Admission for home educator families:
Children (3-18 yrs): £7.50 (25% off normal admission price)
Children (0-2 yrs): free
Supervising adult: free (one per group)
Additional adults: standard rate
Planetarium shows
At 3:00pm we offer live, presenter-led show, The Magical Mystery Tour, aimed specifically at home educator families and tailored by the presenter to be suitable for the ability/interests of the audience. This show can be added to admission for £3.50 per child with the (one) supervising adult going free. Additional adults pay standard rate.
There will also be live planetarium shows and educational fulldome films running for schools earlier in the day. If there are spaces available, home educator families can book into these planetarium shows upon arrival at the Centre.
There is no age restriction for planetarium shows. However, please be aware that some younger siblings may find the planetarium rather overwhelming. We do ensure the show environment is as relaxed as possible so younger members of the audience feel comfortable to call out, ask questions or talk to their family about what they see. Just be aware that you may need to exit if they don't enjoy the experience and if so, other children may not be left unsupervised.
We recommend booking in advance booking for our Home Educator Days using the link below.
Home Educator Days
The 2019 dates are as follows:
- Tuesday 15 January
- Tuesday 12 February
- Thursday 21 March
- Thursday 25 April
- Tuesday 21 May
- Wednesday 26 June
- Monday 15 July
- Tuesday 24 September
- Wednesday 23 October
- Thursday 28 November
- Tuesday 17 December
If you have an enquiry, please call 01962 863791 or email education@winchestersciencecentre.org
Your feedback on our home educator programme is always welcome. Please contact benlittlefield@winchestersciencecentre.org
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.