Most UK Schools now Have Hogwarts-Style 'Houses'

58% of Schools Have House System

LONDON, November 12, 2010 - 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), 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 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 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."

Cath Roan, Roan Media on +44(0)7801-817-451