Most UK Schools now Have Hogwarts-Style 'Houses'

LONDON, November 12, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --

- 58% of Schools Have House System

- More Than 8,000 'Houses' Were set up After Harry Potter Launched

- 33% Believe That Houses Have Reputations

Harry Potter may not be a typical pupil, but it seems the young wizard's school is far from unusual, with more than half of UK schools now having Hogwarts-style 'houses' of some kind.

To celebrate the release of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (Part 1), http://www.SchoolStickers.co.uk conducted a survey of teachers to discover how similar schools in the UK are to Hogwarts.

Interestingly, the research showed that as many as 58% of UK schools now have houses. Of those that do not, 9% plan to introduce them at some point. More than half (59%) of houses were set up after the Harry Potter series was launched in 1997, that is more than 8,000 houses.

The most popular reason given by teachers for introducing houses to their school structure is because the system introduces friendly competition, and gives pupils a sense of ownership.

As millions of Harry Potter fans know, pupils at Hogwarts are members of either Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin or Harry's house Gryffindor. Most houses in UK schools are not quite as imaginatively named, with colours providing the most common inspiration, typically Red, Blue, Green and Yellow.

When houses are established, pupils are often asked for their suggestions on names, and many of the schools surveyed have houses named after local dignitaries, local country houses, rivers, mountain ranges, trees, animals or birds.

At the fictitious Hogwarts, the different houses have reputations for a variety of qualities. Similarly, the http://www.SchoolStickers.co.uk survey found that 33% of teachers believe that houses in real-life schools develop reputations over the years for certain traits.

52% of teachers believe specific houses are known for being the best at sport, 44% say some are known for being the most fun, while 40% admit others are regarded as the most competitive.

Henry Shelford, CEO of http://www.SchoolStickers.co.uk said, "Houses still tend to be seen as something of an old-fashioned idea, existing mostly in the independent sectors. But our research proves this is not the case as houses are now a feature of most schools in the UK. The Harry Potter series has captured the imagination of millions of fans and schools."

SOURCE www.schoolstickers.co.uk