Bring science to life with an action-packed educational visit. Enjoy a curriculum-linked workshop, bespoke Planetarium show and two floors of interactive exhibits. Plus, book a visit and you’ll save 10% on a second activity! End the school year with a summer celebration or bring our Mobile Planetarium to your school.

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What We Offer Visiting Schools

Are you ready to bring science to life with a school trip at Winchester Science Centre!

Suitable for children in KS1, KS2 and Year 7 in KS3, this all-inclusive experience lasts the whole day. Choose from one of six exciting curriculum-linked hands-on workshops, be wowed by a bespoke Planetarium show suited to your group’s learning needs and explore two floors of interactive exhibits using a handy Key Stage guide.

Let us do all the hard work! Our expert science Inspirers will deliver an engaging hands-on workshop, all you have to do is choose which one you want. Will you blast off on an astronomical adventure to discover the secrets of the stars in Discover Space. How about exploring matter using slime? Or what about a loud and interactive sound workshop where students will discover how we hear and process sound?

And that’s not all! All school visits will get their very own bespoke Planetarium show, suited to your group. Take a seat and zoom through the Solar System for an experience you’ll never forget. The massive 360-degree screen is all around you making you feel like you’re flying through space. You’ll find out fantastic space facts. Learn all about the planets up above us. And discover secrets of the stars.

There’s lots of time to explore the two floors of interactive exhibits too. Handy key stage guides will have your groups exploring like mini scientists. Climb into a massive guitar and feel it vibrate. Experience the acoustics of a sonic rocket. And discover what it’s like to live and work in space.

Plus, if you visit on selected dates in July or December you can enjoy one of our seasonal specials. Celebrate the end of school with a bang at the Summer Celebration or enjoy a festive trip in December with the Christmas Special. As well as a bespoke Planetarium experience and time to explore the exhibits, you can choose to add a seasonal workshop or an explosive live science show to your trip.

Together let’s spark their curiosity in science!

Why Choose Us for an Educational Visit

At Winchester Science Centre, we’re on a mission to bring science to life for all children. We want to work together with you to fire their passion for science. We have a brilliant team of expert science Inspirers that run live Planetarium shows and workshops. These activities are at the heart of every school visit and not an added extra.

As part of the independent educational charity Wonderseekers, we have a goal to make visiting available to everyone. To help with this, all schools benefit from a discount on regular general admission prices and there is an additional subsidy of up to 60% for eligible schools. Subsidies are provided for state-funded schools and schools with above average number of students receiving free school meals.

Subjects and Topics Covered

Science – Biology, Chemistry, Physics

Topics – Minibeasts, Space, Matter, Rocketships, Sound, Human Body

Accreditation and Awards

Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge

Group Sizes Catered For

We have a minimum group size of 15 children. If you wish to bring a smaller group you can, but minimum charges based on 15 pupils will apply. If you are a SEND school wishing to bring a smaller group, this charge may be waivered.

Itineraries, Resources, and Workshops

Ahead of your visit please select one of our six-curriculum linked workshops to take part in:

· Marvellous Minibeasts – Come and explore the weird and wonderful world of British bugs. Get up close to live minibeasts. Examine lifecycles, diets and behaviour. And discover the hidden secrets of the flora and fauna of the South Downs National Park.

· Destination Space – Let’s discover starlight secrets on this epic astronomical adventure. Young astro-engineers will experiment to see how to direct and deflect light in space. Wow!

· Matter – Let’s investigate matter – especially a weird ‘matter in the middle’. It’s a sticky sensory workshop. We’ll make slime and make it stretch, twist and bounce.

· Rocketships – Our rocket workshop is for budding engineers to learn about forces. Build, test and make your rockets amazing. Let’s power them with fuel and fire and launch them too!

· Sound – This is a loud, interactive workshop to explore how we hear sound and process it. Experiment with weird and wonderful gadgets. Reinvent yourself with differently positioned ears!

· The Science of Us – Let’s find out how we work by learning more about the human body. Investigate how the systems in our body work and find out how we can keep them healthy. Discover the secrets of our heart by exploring the structure of a real sheep heart.

We also provide key stage maps for our exhibition floor with suggested activities for a number of our interactive exhibits.

Risk Assessment

Need help writing your risk assessment? Don’t worry, we’ve got some great tips and advice in our handy guide. You can find it on our website – https://www.winchestersciencecentre.org/assets/files/uploads/schools-risk-assessment-advice.pdf

Education Department Information

Please contact the team at education@winchestersciencecentre.org. They will be happy to help.

Pricing Information

Winchester Science centre is run by the educational charity Wonderseeekers. We work really hard to break down any barriers to engagement. To help with this, all schools benefit from a discount on regular general admission prices and there is an additional subsidy of up to 60% for eligible schools. Subsidies are provided for state-funded schools and schools with above average number of students receiving free school meals.

Facilities

· Two floors of exciting action-packed science fun.

· Shop: our shop will be open between 12pm and 2pm but only if you let us know you would like to use it in advance. Don’t forget to tell us when you complete your booking form. We recommend around £3 to £5 pocket money will be plenty.

· Toilets: we have female and male toilets with smaller seat options for younger visitors. We also have two accessible toilets and a Changing Places facility.

· Indoor and outdoor lunch areas: you’ll be designated a lunch area on arrival.

· Bag and coat storage: you’ll have your own storage area designated on arrival.

· Coach parking: coaches have their own parking area in our car park and parking is free.

Unfortunately our café is not open during school visits for food or hot drinks. Make sure everyone remembers to bring their lunch. We also recommend bringing along a refillable water bottle as we have cold water dispensers available.

Accessibility and Disabled Facilities

At Winchester Science centre science is for everyone. We’ve totally transformed our visitor experience to make it easy for all young people to be part of everything we do. Here’s a quick summary of our facilities:

· Parking: our access route to the main entrance from the coach parking is completely flat. We also have Blue Badge parking closer to our entrance for those that need it.

· Lift and access: the Science Centre is completely open plan with a level surface. Between the two floors is a roll-on-roll-off lift that’s big enough for a wheelchair and carer/personal assistant.

· Recombobulation Room: need some quiet space? Our Recombobulation Room is a peaceful sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of the Science Centre. It’s a calm, empty space with hardly any sound and lovely dimmable light.

· Sensory backpacks and ear defenders: We have brilliant sesnory backpacks that you can borrow. They come with fiddle toys, ear defenders and a social story.

· Toilets: we have an accessible toilet on both floors and a Changing Places facility on the lower floor.

· SEN Educational Days: we run calmer and quieter visits on selected dates throughout the year.

Opening Hours

School groups typically visit between 10am and 2pm on a weekday during Hampshire term times. For general public opening times, please visit our website.