Plympton Academy students take part in Harry Potter activities

Students at Plympton Academy watched as their school was transformed into Hogwarts for their annual Challenge Week recently.

Eighty students in Years 7, 8 and 9, enjoyed a week of Harry Potter activities that started with the Sorting Hat Ceremony. Once placed within their House, students enjoyed classes such as: potions making; designing a house crest; creating their own magical wands from Ollivander’s; hunting for Horcruxes; duelling in their Defense Against the Dark Arts Class and a life sized game of Giants, Wizards and Trolls.

Challenge Week is designed to give students a wide range of extra- curricular experiences and each activity was defined to incorporate curriculum skills from creative and visual arts, performing arts, literacy and personal and social education.

Head of English at Plympton Academy, Claire Jones explained that students worked as part of a team throughout the week, developing their social skills and approach to creative tasks. “It’s been lovely to see them stepping outside their comfort zones and developing new skills alongside enjoying some Harry Potter magic!”

The highlight of the week was the trip to The Making of Harry Potter: Warner Bros Studios, just outside London, where students could experience the real life magic of the wizarding world, from riding on broomsticks to seeing the dragon in Gringott’s bank roar to life.

Year 7 student Rowan Hutchins said, “The trip to the Studios was absolutely amazing and I also loved using our own wands to complete magic duels outside!”

The Harry Potter week was so successful that there’s already plans to create more wizarding opportunities next year.

“We absolutely loved dressing up and being in character as Hogwarts’ Professors for the week and seeing our students immersed in their activities was wonderful,” said Claire Jones.