Wands at the ready!

Fifty budding wizards from Rainford High recently took part in a Harry Potter themed lunch at the school.

A select group of Year 7s donned Hogwarts-style hats and capes and were invited to enjoy a huge feast in the immersive suite, which replicated the iconic dining hall at the witchcraft and wizardry school.

The space was transformed with images from the films and a Harry Potter soundtrack played throughout the afternoon.

In true Harry Potter style, the students were organised into the four infamous houses – Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Ravenclaw.

As part of a worldwide initiative by Bloomsbury Publishing, the event celebrates the series of fantasy novels written by author J K Rowling.

Rainford High has taken part in the festivities for the past three years and sets students a range of themed competitions, such as writing magical spells and creating wizarding characters that would be worthy of fitting into any Harry Potter novel.

This year, students were required to demonstrate ingenuity and creativity by designing their own fantastical beast inspired by the story, ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’.

The school hosts these occasions to encourage students to pick up a book, be adventurous, try new authors and read for pleasure. In turn, the youngsters become great readers as they enter magical worlds, face quests and encounter immense dangers in their imaginations.

Rainford High principal, Mr Ian Young joined the students and handed out certificates, prizes to all of the winners. He said: “This is one of the most exciting dates in the school calendar for many of our students. The Harry Potter books and films are widely loved by all ages and so it is great that we can come together and celebrate the impact these stories have had on literacy.”