Schools and Groups
Our brand new Science Discovery Centre and Planetarium will be open for visits starting in November 2024.
We are making booking available to School groups as a priority, as we want to welcome as many young people to our new facility as possible!
Be among the first to experience our new Planetarium show and learn all about space and beyond from our enthusiastic and knowledgeable society members.
Our visits are tailored to support your current curriculum topics around space and science. Let us know if you have a particular subject or theme in mind, and we will adapt our talk to the theme and age of your group.
What’s involved in a group visit?
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20-minute planetarium show and presentation by our expert team
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Tour of our observatory to understand how our telescope works
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Viewing opportunity (weather permitting)
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Science activity session led by our experienced team
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View our exhibition in the Science Discovery Centre to learn more about human space flight
Dates and prices
School visits are held Monday to Friday as either half-day or full-day sessions.
Charges are £180 for state-funded and SEND schools and £210 for fee-paying schools. This is for up to 30 pupils and equates to £6 or £7 per pupil. Extra adults are chargeable. We require a non-returnable deposit of £50 at the time of booking, plus payment in full 14 days before your visit date.
Please state your day and time preferences on the booking form below.
Planning your visit
Deposits are non-refundable should you need to cancel your visit. We are happy to accommodate changes to the date of your visit where possible without loss of deposit, but this cannot be guaranteed.
Our team offers risk assessment advice, and we will send you further details closer to the date of your visit.
We can offer a range of activity worksheets for groups to complete. Please let us know if you are interested in more details.
Depending on the specific date of your visit, there may be general admission visitors on-site simultaneously. Please bear this in mind when planning your trip.
Parking is available on-site for minibuses and coaches. Please let us know if you require accessible parking spaces or EV charging for your vehicle.
Group Size
Our capacity is 59 visitors, including accompanying adults, at any one time. For larger groups, we will schedule separate activity sessions, planetarium shows, and observatory visits to ensure that everyone gets a chance to participate.
We operate a ratio of 3 adults to every 30 children. Additional adults are welcome at a small fee per person.
What to bring
Please bring your own packed lunch and/or snacks as our café may not be available during your visit.
Remember to wrap up warm, as it can be cold outside and in the observatory.
Science and Astronomy pocket money toys and gifts will be available at the end of your visit.
Non-school bookings
Please note that we are not taking bookings for scouting, guiding, adult, or special occasion groups at present. If you would like to keep in touch with our opening dates, please join our mailing list here.
Accessibility
We want everyone to enjoy our facility, but please be aware that using the main telescope involves climbing some steps.
If that’s not an option for some of your group members, don’t worry - we have smaller scopes outside that can also show you amazing sights.
Essential carers for children with additional needs are admitted free of charge and are included in the adult-to-child ratios above.
Please let us know if you have any special needs or worries, and we will do our best to help you.
If you have any questions, please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
