Science Zone Bournemouth

South West

Science Zone UK 21/22 The Royal Arcade, Boscombe, Bournemouth, BH1 4BT

MONTHS OPEN

January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

DAYS OPEN

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

AGE GROUPs

PreSchool, 5 to 7 years, 8 to 10 years, 11 to 13 years, 14 to 16 years, College, University

The Science Zone offers interactive educational experiences, where students can explore life-sized dinosaurs and the Solar System. The variety of activities that are available ensures that all students will remain engaged and interested.

What we offer on a school trip

What makes us a great choice for education

What is typically included on our school trips

Schools visits:

Schools have a range of topics to choose from – Space Exploration, Dinosaurs, States of Matter, Plate Tectonics, Rocks and Fossils and Fractals in the planetarium, backed up by an optional experiment activity on the topic. The additional sensory rooms and dinosaur basement are also popular with school visits. There is adequate room for assembly and teaching downstairs in our special school reception area which fits around 40 children, this allows access straight to the teaching and UV room. Upstairs, the planetarium and experiment room have full disabled access.

Dinosaur Den & Sensory Rooms: Dinosaur models, fossils, interactive panels on the floor and wall, two sensory rooms, Fossil hunting activity. All in our basement area.

Planetarium shows in our 3.2m dome: We have one of the most advanced planetarium systems in the market. We can give our customers a tour around the night’s sky, constellations and the planets using real time data and project a star field accurately with 10,000 stars. Different planetarium sessions (including dinosaur shows) for all, with special sessions for adults and family designed sessions are shown every week.

Science experiments area (Hands-on experiments):

Typically, a session will include 3 or 4 experiments, depending on the topic covered.

From making slime, bouncy balls and rainbows till fizzy bubble experiments, or the use of dry ice, chocolate or eggs for the most egg’shilarating experiments you’ve ever experienced. Pupils watch and participate in each experiment under the instruction of one of our ‘professors’.

Workshops area: Dome or Dome + Activities workshops. To name a few topics, Volcanoes, Tim Peake and Rockets, Light/Dark and Space, Weather, Cells and your body, Rocks and Fossils, Dinosaurs, Stars and Stories, Black Holes, etc.

Depending on numbers, one class will visit the dome whilst the other participates in the experiment workshop and they then swap over.

Adult Space sessions, Plus12 workshops, Home Education and Pre School workshops (target aged workshops).

Birthday parties: We do three main types of parties; Dinosaur Parties, Space Parties and Science Parties. Dome + games related for the first two named and just Science experiments in the case of the Science Parties. Time for food, cake and free play included in our two hours birthday party service available to hire.

Access to our Dinosaur Den and Sensory Rooms and as well as help setting out the food and cake and decorating the venue are also included.

Shop: telescopes, binoculars, fossils, rocks, minerals, fossil art, mineral designed jewelry.

Group Sizes Catered For

Materials, Resources & Information Provided

Photography, Filming & Audio Restrictions

Risk Assessment Details

We provide a full support service for a school visit including a Pre-visit assessment of the site centre with a Educator available to plan the visit later. We send via email a risk assessment to the schools we visit and we also use a different risk assessment at work place. (See below)

Teachers are welcome to come and do a pre-visit check to discuss requirements and cover risk assessment needs.

All the staff at the Zone cover the points below on a school visit – before the event basis and ongoing:

Identify hazards
Assess the risks
Control the risks
Record your findings
Review the controls

Internal Science Zone Risk Assessment following:
Activity: Open Shop, Sensory Rooms and Planetarium
Date: (For general use to cover shop open hours: 10:00 to 17:00 Monday to Saturday)

Potential Risks	Controls in place
• Slips, trips and falls	• Wear appropriate clothing and shoes for the activities they are undertaking • Supervise the activity to ensure suitable play. All children must be accompanied by at least one responsible adult at all times • Area is constantly checked for trip hazards. If any are found, they are removed or marked clearly • Stairs to Sensory Rooms and Dino Den are steep, so staff always tell public to take care.
• Stranger Danger	• Shop is open to public, so risk of exposure of children is applicable • Staff do not allow access to Sensory Rooms or Planetarium if not accompanying a child (so long as children are in the aforementioned areas). If areas are clear, then single adults may proceed. Staff ensure these areas are clear of single adults before children use them. • All staff are DBS checked • At least one staff member is physically in the shop area at all times so can monitor the public element of exposure
• Medical issues	• First aider normally present • Small first aid kit in reception • Nearest defibrillator is less than 250m away: in Dr Who TARDIS replica on Boscombe high-street
• Fire	• Three CO₂extinguishers (two upstairs, one downstairs), a foam extinguisher (upstairs) and a large water extinguisher (downstairs) present at all times. Easily accessed in case of fire. • Fire escapes are clearly planned and all staff are aware of the escape routes. • Fire escapes are clearly labelled and care is taken to ensure they are kept clear. • There are two distinct escapes from the downstairs area (stairs and ladder) • All electrical equipment is PAT tested. The arcade (and zone) is a no-smoking zone. All rooms are alarmed and fitted with a sprinkler system.
• Heaters and radiators	• If heater or radiator is on, risk of scalding is present. Staff are aware to take care of the heater in the reception area. • Heaters in the public spaces are shielded naturally to avoid contact risk. In the Dino Den, radiator is covered by fossil display case. In reception it is behind the main desk. In the Sensory Rooms, radiator is exposed but installed in indent in the wall to avoid accidental contact.
• Electrical Equipment	• All equipment is PAT tested. • Care is taken to ensure water is kept away from plugs and electrical items. Equipment in Sensory Rooms are all connected to fused kill switches which can be used to deactivate equipment if needed. • All ROMPA equipment is properly installed. ROMPA control panel (used by the public) is insulated with minimal risk of exposure.
• Fire Extinguishers	• Upstairs extinguisher is installed above display table with no risk of accidental contact. • Downstairs extinguishers are situated in main hallway but away from natural movement area. Extinguishers are also visibly clear and well-marked.
• Planetarium	• Entrance to Planetarium is raised and narrow. One member of staff always holds door open and instructs public to step over the entrance. • Dark in planetarium and wires on the floor present a trip hazard. One member of staff will enter the Planetarium before the public and guide them round the wires. A light will be on inside and all members of the public will be sitting before it is turned off. • 360^o bulb gets hot, so public is instructed not to touch it.
Signed:	Date:	Position:

This risk assessment is a basic cover for the Science Zone UK shop in the Royal Arcade, Boscombe, Bournemouth. Any subsequent risk assessments filed in the zone act as extensions to the above. That is, they assume the above precautions are already in place. Thus, all further activities are covered by both this general and one specific risk assessments.

Education Officer Information

Pricing Information

Clothing Requirements

First Aid Information

Available Facilities

Accessibility & Disabled Facilities

Opening Hours & Information

Testimonials

Other Information

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