Child and Mother in hijab learning about meteorites from a science communicator
National Space Centre

Home Education Day

A day dedicated to home educated children and their families.

  • 9th Jan 2025
  • Workshop, Show and Talk Included
  • Free Time to Explore the Exhibition
  • Spend time with other Home Education Families

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  1. Mother and child enjoying an SEN workshop
    National Space Centre

    Home Education Day

    The National Space Centre’s Education team is hosting a day of talks, workshops and shows in the Planetarium to home educated children.

    Join the team to find out more about Light and Dark (themed around light and dark. We will be looking at light pollution of our skies and the problems this causes for star gazing) in a day of exploration.

    Suitable for children from 6-14, sessions will allow children and adults  to work together to achieve their own learning goals (children remain the responsibility of accompanying adults at all times).

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Science Communicator presenting on the LIVE Space stage
David Baird

This Month's Theme

Our subject for this Home Education Day is Light and Dark.

  • Price - £13.50 per child and £9.00 per adult (children remain the responsibility of accompanying adults at all times) to work together to achieve their own learning goals.
  • Adults must remain with child/children at all times.

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  1. Destination Mars 24.11.23 (2)

    Workshop - Light

    • Group 1 - 10:45 (Sellers) / Group 2 - 13:00 (Sellers)

    Through practical hands-on experiments and demonstrations children will learn about the wonder world of light. Answering questions such as, what is a source of light and how does light travel? Find out in this session full of activities and fun.

  2. LIVE Space logo with large fireball as part of a science demonstration
    National Space Centre

    Talk - Seeing the invisible

    • Group 1 - 13:30 (LIVE Space) / Group 2 - 11:30 (LIVE Space)

    Join the discovery team to find out about the exploration of space, using space telescopes. Through live demonstrations and fun interactive questions find out what they are, where they are, and how do they work.

  3. Tour of the Night Sky
    National Space Centre

    Planetarium Show - Tour of the Night Sky

    • Group 1 - 14:20 (Planetarium) / Group 2 - 14:20 (Planetarium)

    Join a member of our Discovery team for an immersive Planetarium experience, sit back and relax as we journey together through the wonders of the Universe. This National Astronomy Week we chase the Moon across the sky beside four planets and a treasure-trove of stars. Your presenter will guide you around our night-time sky before venturing into space for a unique perspective of Earth and other more distant celestial objects.

  1. On 24 December 1968, Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders became the first humans to orbit the Moon, and the first to witness the magnificent sight called "Earthrise."
    NASA

    Workshop - Earth, Moon and Sun

    • Group 1 - 13:15 (Peake) / Group 2 - 11:45 (Peake)

    This curriculum focused workshop delivers core information about our Earth, Moon and Sun. A space quiz format also facilitates the consolidation of facts already taught in the classroom. Using novel models and visual aids, students will explore the relationship of movement between Earth, Moon, and Sun, and how this relates to our day-to-day lives. Students will also craft their own Moon Wheel, showing each of the moon phases, which they can take home.

  2. LIVE Space logo with large fireball as part of a science demonstration
    National Space Centre

    Talk - Seeing the invisible

    • Group 1 - 11:30 (LIVE Space) / Group 2 - 13:30 (LIVE Space)

    Join the discovery team to find out about the exploration of space, using space telescopes. Through live demonstrations and fun interactive questions find out what they are, where they are, and how do they work.

  3. Tour of the Night Sky
    National Space Centre

    Planetarium Show - Tour of the Night Sky

    • Group 1 - 10:20 (Planetarium) / Group 2 - 10:20 (Planetarium)

    Join a member of our Discovery team for an immersive Planetarium experience, sit back and relax as we journey together through the wonders of the Universe. This National Astronomy Week we chase the Moon across the sky beside four planets and a treasure-trove of stars. Your presenter will guide you around our night-time sky before venturing into space for a unique perspective of Earth and other more distant celestial objects.

  1. A nebula is in the foreground, with a cluster of stars seen in the background.

    Workshop - Life of Stars

    • Group 1 - 12:15

    Join the Discovery team to find out about the main different stars in our Universe what makes them unique and how they change over time.

  2. LIVE Space logo with large fireball as part of a science demonstration
    National Space Centre

    Talk - Seeing the Invisible

    • Group 1 - 14:30

    Join the discovery team to find out about the exploration of space, using space telescopes. Through live demonstrations and fun interactive questions find out what they are, where they are, and how do they work.

  3. Tour of the Night Sky
    National Space Centre

    Planetarium Show - Tour of the Night Sky

    • Group 1 - 10:20

    Join the discovery team to find out more about the night sky and the stars we can see from Earth, as well as finding out more about the James Webb telescope and how it looks for objects in space. Sit back and relax as we journey together through the wonders of the Universe. 

    Your presenter will guide you around our night-time sky and together you will look at the stars, visit planets and explore the mysteries of Space, in your own unique adventure.

Downloadable Resources

  1. Sls 70Mt Dac3org Launch Cam Top View Uhr2 Banner 1900X0 C Default

    Age 6-9

    Download your Key Stage 1 gallery trails here
  2. Space Shuttle Columbia Launching Small2 1900X0 C Default

    Age 9-12

    Download you Key Stage 2 gallery trails here
  3. Falconheavylaunch

    Age 12-14

    Download you Key Stage 3 gallery trails here

FAQs

Unfortunately we have very restricted space in the classrooms, so you can book a maximum of ONE supervisory adult per child. However, if you would like to buy standard day entry to the National Space Centre for any additional adults/children, you can all spend time together in the Centre's exhibitions outside of the 30 minute talk, 60 minute workshop and 30 minute show. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times in the Centre.  

No, due to the additional workshop, talk and show there is an additional ticket for this event. Home Education Day tickets are not valid for the FREE Annual Pass upgrade.

We provide all resources required for the sessions. We strongly suggest you download the gallery trails in advance and bring those with you. Children are also encouraged to bring a water in a sealed bottle with them (to stay hydrated throughout).

No, children must be supervised by an adult at all times. 

No, the sessions have been developed specifically for that age range. It would not be fair on your child, or others in the group.

Each session will include children of differing ages and abilities. Due to the nature of the sessions, we do not have sufficient resources for children to work individually.

No, all tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. As we use a third party ticketing supplier there are significant fees to make any changes, which the charity is unable to cover. 

Please check out our Accessible Afternoons, which may be more appropriate for you and your child. We also have Space Cadets online learning you can do at home (with access to Zoom). 

Yes, the National Space Centre will be open as normal to the public, but we will not be taking school or large group bookings on this day. Workshops and talks will be exclusive to those booked on the Home Education day, however, free time in the exhibition and galleries will include any public visiting on the day.