HE Graduation Ceremony 2025

Venue: The Queens Theatre, 100 Boutport St, Barnstaple EX31 1SY

Date: Friday 7 November 2025

If you’re in your final year and due to complete your programme with a full award by August 2025, you’ll be identified as potentially eligible. Formal invitations have been sent to all eligible students.

If you believe you’re eligible but haven’t received an invitation, please contact the Graduation Team: graduation@petroc.ac.uk

The Queen’s Theatre is located on Boutport Street, with nearby parking at Queen Street or Bear Street car parks. Public transport links are just a short walk from the venue.

For detailed directions and parking information, visit:

Queen’s Theatre Travel Info

Graduation is a formal occasion. All graduands are required to wear academic dress (gown, hood and mortarboard) to take part in the ceremony. 

You can hire your academic dress online from Ede & Ravenscroft:

Ede & Ravenscroft Booking

Please wear smart clothing under your gown—no jeans or trainers.

Comfortable but formal shoes are recommended, especially for crossing the stage.

Top Tips:

• Bring safety pins to help secure your hood
• Hair grips can help keep your mortarboard in place

You can hire your gown from Ede & Ravenscroft for £46. Visit: www.edeandravenscroft.com

Guest tickets are available to purchase from the Queen’s Theatre website:
Petroc UCND Graduation 2025 Tickets

• Adult: £18
  
• Child: £12

There’s no limit to the number of guest tickets you can buy. Children young enough to sit on a lap do not need a ticket.

Please note: Graduands will not be seated with their guests during the ceremony.

No. Your seat is secured once you’ve booked your academic dress and (if desired) photography package. Only guests require tickets.

We are committed to making the graduation ceremonies accessible and welcoming to all our graduands and guests.

When you purchase your gown and guest ticket, please let us know if you or any of your guests have special requirements we need to be aware of such as:

• BSL Interpreter (only available upon request)
• Wheelchair user
• Guide/Assistance dog user
• Temporary disability (i.e. broken leg)
• Individual needs or access requirements

If you have accessibility requirements, please email graduation@petroc.ac.uk. We may contact you before the day to discuss any special arrangements with you.

Of course, but please note that if you are graduating, your child/children will not be able to sit with you, they will need to sit and be accompanied by a responsible adult.  Children young enough to sit on a lap do not require a ticket.

If you need to bring a pram with you on the day, please make the Graduation Team aware before the day. This will allow the team to arrange space to accommodate the pram. 

Please can we ask that if your child/children become unsettled during the ceremony, they be taken outside.

Arrival times and schedules will be sent out in October 2025.

All guests must be seated at least 15 minutes before the ceremony starts. Late arrivals will regrettably be refused entry.

Information will be emailed to graduands nearer to the event, but please refer to the overview below for your information:

• Arrival and registration.
• Gowning and photography will commence approximately two hours before your ceremony in the robing room. You will be allocated a gowning time closer to the date.  
• Graduands briefing.
• Guests will be seated at the theatre 15 minutes before the start of the ceremony when the doors will be closed.
• Once the Graduation Ceremony commences, it will last for approximately one hour.
• After the Ceremony, it’s time to de-robe and celebrate with family and friends! Previous graduates have celebrated by going for a meal with friends and family in the local restaurants of Bideford and the surrounding areas.

There is no cloakroom at the Queen’s Theatre. Please leave any coats, bags, or personal items with your guests.

Yes, the official photographer for our ceremony is Ede & Ravenscroft. 

You can book your photography package at the same time as hiring your gowns. 

There will also be a roaming photographer on the day. 

Your guests are very welcome to take pictures/video during the ceremony, but we would politely ask that those with cameras take care not to obscure the view of other guests.

Unfortunately, not all certificates will have been produced by the date of our graduation ceremony and we will therefore produce a ‘holding’ University Centre for Northern Devon certificate to present to you at the ceremony. Once we receive your official certificate we will forward this to you.

If you’re unable to attend this year’s ceremony, please let us know. While we can’t guarantee space, we will do our best to accommodate you at the next event.

Please note: we only hold one graduation ceremony per year.

I don’t want my name printed in the official programme. What should I do?

Email graduation@petroc.ac.uk by Friday 26 September with the subject line:

‘Remove my name from the official graduation programme for November 2025’

Yes, you can submit your preferred name when booking your gown.

Please note: Your official Degree Certificate will still display your legal name.

Please ensure your contact details, including email, are up to date. All invitations will be sent to your College email and personal email addresses. If you need to update your personal email address you can do this on my Petroc. If you need assistance in making this change please contact the HE team at HE@petroc.ac.uk

Graduates are seated in order of award (e.g. Fd, BA etc.) and then alphabetically within each programme. You must be sat in the right place to ensure your name is called correctly when you walk across the graduation stage.

Please note you will not sit with your guests during the ceremony.

Yes! You must apply before the stated deadline.
Your attendance will be confirmed after the Exam Boards in July.

If you don’t pass all course elements, you’ll be eligible for a full refund from the relevant suppliers.

Please note: the University Centre is not able to reimburse other costs such as travel or accommodation.

If the Graduation ceremony needs to be postponed, relocated or cannot take place as planned due to circumstances beyond the University Centre’s control, the Graduation Team will notify all graduands at the earliest possible time, and publish notice of the position online.

Yes! The University Centre is committed to ensuring financial hardship does not prevent anyone from attending.

Eligible students can apply to the Hardship Fund, which can help cover the cost of gown hire and a professional digital photograph.

To apply, contact the HE Team: HE@petroc.ac.uk