Pupils in Years 10 and 11, along with their parents and carers, are invited to attend the upcoming Open Events across South Hampshire College Group (SHCG) campuses to explore post-16 study options and tour the campus facilities.

Event Details:

• Eastleigh College: Tuesday 13 October 2026 | 5pm–7pm

• Fareham College: Thursday 15 October 2026 | 5pm–7pm

• Southampton College: Wednesday 21 October 2026 | 5pm–7pm

What to Expect:

• Tour state-of-the-art teaching spaces, industry-standard workshops, and campus facilities.

• Speak directly with expert lecturers about course structures, entry requirements, and progression.

• Attend dedicated talks on T-Levels, V-Levels, A-Levels, and Degree Apprenticeships.

• Receive tailored advice on student support, transport, and college applications.

Booking Information: Advance registration is required. Please reserve a place online for each person attending prior to the event.

• Book online: Visit Events Archive - SHCG | South Hampshire College Group to secure your places.

Pupils in Years 10 and 11, along with their parents and carers, are invited to attend the upcoming Open Events at Itchen Sixth Form College in Southampton to explore post-16 study options and tour the campus facilities.

Event Details:

• Evening session: Today, 08 October 2026 | 5pm–8pm

• Morning session: Saturday, 10 October 2026 | 10am–1pm

• Location: Itchen Sixth Form College, Middle Road, Southampton

What to Expect:

• Tour the campus facilities, specialist teaching spaces, and learning environments.

• Speak directly with subject tutors about course entry requirements and study pathways across A-Levels, T-Levels, and vocational qualifications.

• Attend scheduled talks covering student support services, high-performance academies, and overall college life.

Booking Information: Advance ticket booking is required for prospective students attending the event. Parents and carers accompanying a pupil do not require a separate ticket.

• Book online: Visit Itchen Sixth Form College to reserve your place.

Pupils in Years 10 and 11, along with their parents and carers, are invited to attend the upcoming Open Events across the City of Portsmouth College campuses to explore post-16 study options and tour the campus facilities.

Event Details:

• Dates: Wednesday, 14 October and Thursday, 15 October 2026

• Time: 4.30pm–7.30pm

• Participating Campuses:

  • Highbury Campus (Vocational, technical, and professional training)

  • Sixth Form Campus (A-Levels and academic pathways)

  • North Harbour Campus (Construction and building services)

What to Expect:

• Tour subject-specific teaching environments, workshops, and learning spaces.

• Attend welcome talks and meet course tutors to discuss entry requirements.

• Speak with current students and explore student support, learning support, and career guidance services.

• Enjoy complimentary coffee and cake available throughout the evening.

Booking Information: Advance registration is required to attend. Prospective students and families should reserve their preferred date and campus slot online prior to visiting.

• Book online: Visit Open events | Portsmouth Local College Opening Evenings | City of Portsmouth College to reserve your place

Pupils in Years 10 and 11, alongside their parents and carers, are invited to attend the upcoming Open Event at Richard Taunton Sixth Form College to explore post-16 study options and tour the campus facilities.

Event Details:

• Date: Tuesday, 13 October 2026

• Time: 6pm-8pm

• Location: Richard Taunton Sixth Form College, Southampton

What to Expect at the Open Evening:

• Explore the college campus, specialist subject rooms, and learning facilities.

• Meet course tutors to discuss A-Level, T-Level, and vocational options.

• Learn about student support services, enrichment opportunities, and progression pathways.

Booking Information: Advance booking is required to attend the Open Evening. Prospective students and families should reserve their place online prior to attending.

• Book online: Secure your place via Open Evening | Tuesday 13 October | Richard Taunton Sixth Form College Tickets, Tuesday, October 13  •  6pm-8pm | Eventbrite.

Pupils in Years 10 and 11, alongside their parents and carers, are invited to attend the upcoming Open Event at Sparsholt College to explore post-16 study options and tour the campus facilities.

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, 07 November 2026

• Time: 9.30am – 2pm (specific arrival times depend on individual tour bookings)

• Location: Sparsholt College, Winchester

What to Expect:

• Take guided tours of specialist subject areas, land-based facilities, and countryside learning environments.

• Speak directly with course tutors about entry requirements for vocational qualifications and apprenticeships.

• Discover options across agriculture, animal management, equine studies, sport, motor vehicle, and uniformed protective services.

• Learn about campus transport options, student support services, and the college application process.

Booking Information: Advance registration is essential. Prospective students must register online and book specific tour slots for the individual subject areas they wish to visit prior to attending.

• Book Online: Visit Sparsholt College Open Event, 07 November 2026 Tickets, Saturday, November 7 | Eventbrite to register and select your subject area tours.

10 Top Tips for Parents and Educators

Spending time outdoors plays a vital role in children's health, happiness, and development. This guide explores why nature matters, the barriers families may face, and practical ways to help children reconnect with wildlife and the outdoors. Here we highlight simple activities, creative ideas, and safe approaches to encourage exploration, confidence, and a lasting love of nature in everyday life.

1. Time outside matters

Evidence shows that time in nature can benefit children's mental and physical health, learning, social development, and overall wellbeing. Nature does not need to be rare, grand, or far away to matter. Common, small, and local spaces can offer valuable opportunities too. Despite competing demands on children's time, many say being in nature makes them happy.

2. Understand the barriers

Children's outdoor play has reduced significantly in recent generations, with independent play and roaming also becoming less common. Reasons can include alternative play options, worries about safety and risk, fewer suitable play spaces, busier roads, and increasingly structured routines. Understanding these barriers helps adults respond with practical, realistic ways to make outdoor time easier and more appealing.

3. Take activities outside

Children can benefit from being in natural spaces even when engaging with nature is not the main activity. Think about everyday pursuits that could be moved outdoors, such as reading, playing cards and board games, arts and crafts, hide and seek, exercising, eating, or chatting. Involve children and young people in creating their outdoor space, for example, an upturned box can become a table, while cushions wrapped in strong bags can make temporary outdoor seating.

4. Use technology positively

Too much screen time can be unhelpful, but technology can also support nature connection, particularly for older children and young people. They can use a camera to document the wildlife they find, create art projects, or record natural sounds. Apps can help identify birdsong, plants, insects, or stars. Older children and young people may also enjoy citizen science projects, where their observations contribute to real environmental research.

5. Create mini adventures

Green spaces are brilliant for exploration, adventure, creativity, and problem-solving. Adventures can be small and local, such as hunting for insects, looking for natural colours, or spotting patterns. They can also be bigger, including hill walks, den building, rock pooling, or watching the sunset. These experiences can create moments of awe and leave lasting memories.

6. Build nature at home

Even small spaces can help children connect with nature through play and creativity. Seeds can be grown in windowsill boxes or hanging baskets, while herbs, strawberries, flowers, and cherry tomatoes often thrive in containers. Bird feeders, nest boxes, and insect hotels can support local wildlife. Indoors, garden magazines, leaves, and natural textures can inspire imaginative art, storytelling, and play.

7. Explore further afield

Holidays and weekends can offer children and young people the opportunity to visit country parks, nature reserves, waterways, woods, and the coast. These places may create memorable "wow!" moments, such as rock pooling, exploring forests, pond dipping, or simply visiting somewhere new. Local activity centres may also offer taster sessions in canoeing, climbing, or archery, helping children and young people try outdoor activities safely.

8. Engage older children

Teenagers may be less interested in adult-led activities designed for younger children. They often respond better to challenges, independence, skill building, and meaningful responsibility. Wildlife surveys, photography, outdoor cooking, whittling with safe tools, den building, or conservation tasks can feel more purposeful. Allowing controlled risks can support confidence, judgement, and a stronger connection with nature.

9. Notice local nature

Natural spaces enable unstructured play and exploration. Adults don't need specialist knowledge to help children enjoy nature and wildlife. Start by noticing what can be heard, smelled, and seen in a garden, school grounds, local park, or on the way to the shops. Encourage walking at a slower pace, looking for birds, leaves, insects, clouds, colours, and patterns, so that nature becomes part of daily living.

10. Manage sensible risks

Taking certain small risks in nature can in fact be valuable for children. Getting wet, muddy, or even stung by a nettle can help them understand the consequences of nature, cope with discomfort, build confidence outdoors, and assess situations more safely in future. Adults can support them in these moments by setting clear boundaries, supervising appropriately, teaching safety, and preparing children for all sorts of weather and natural spaces, while still allowing their curiosity, independence, and resilience to grow.

Meet our expert

Kate Whitehead leads on Connecting Children with Nature for Natural England, the government's adviser for the natural environment. With a background in ecology and sustainable development, and a passion for education, Kate works to facilitate between the environmental, education, and health sectors, collating research and best practice to support schools to unlock the multitude of benefits nature can offer.

The National College®
See full reference list on our website.
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Users of this guide do so at their own discretion. No liability is entered into. Current as of the date of release: 29.07.2026.