Facilities for children
Please see below for information on:
- Children at ceremonies
- The Nursery
- The Graduation Family Marquee
Children at ceremonies:
There are certain restrictions on children being able to attend the ceremonies inside the ceremonial halls. Graduation ceremonies are lengthy formal events that are unsuitable for small children – babies and small children do not enjoy them and this can compromise the enjoyment of other guests within the ceremony.
To preserve the ceremonial atmosphere we regret that we are unable to admit babies and children under the age of five to the ceremonial hall, without exception. Children aged five and older are admitted providing they have their own ticket seat allocation, can sit in their own seat and are not a distraction for other members of the audience.
NB due to the steeply raked auditorium, pushchairs and buggies are not permitted into the ceremonial hall for personal safety.
We would like to apologise to parents of babies and small children for any inconvenience caused, but this policy has evolved over many years of receiving complaints from guests attending previous graduation ceremonies.
However, we do offer other facilities which are more appropriate for young children and their parents/guardians, and these include:
The Nursery:
The University Nursery, based on the Highfield Campus, is OFSTED-regulated and offers a limited number of places for children aged between four months and five years.
Advance booking for this service is vital and made on a ‘first come, first served’ basis with the Nursery. Please contact the Nursery directly on:
Email: nursery@soton.ac.uk,
Website: nursery
Or Tel: +44 (0) 2380 593 465.
Important: The Nursery regrets it is unable to accept children who are presented for child care on the day without a prior reservation booking.
The Graduation Family Marquee:
The Graduation Family Marquee provides a large 8ft by 6ft live-link cinema screen of the ceremonies as they happen. This marquee seats 120 persons (in rows) and is situated on level ground, making it ideal for guests with mobility difficulties and for children in buggies or pushchairs. There are also provisions for children which include bean-bag seating, spaces for buggy parking and children's TV showing 'Cbeebies'.
Please note: A responsible parent/guardian must remain with each child at all times. If you wish to leave your child in supervised nursery care you may opt for the Highfield Campus day nursery facility, please see details above.
Baby changing facilities:
There are baby changing facilities located in the Nuffield Theatre foyer and in the foyer of building 40, before the entrance to Garden Court.
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