On Tuesday 21st January, half of the U4 went to Warner Brothers studios on a Design Department trip to look at the Harry Potter Museum. The vast spaces are filled with intricate models, animatronics, original sets, prosthetics, costumes and props that have been synonymous both within the films and the pupils' childhoods.

Although being a highly enjoyable and fun trip for pupils (and staff!) it was also incredibly insightful and, all who went learnt a great deal about the film and creative industry. Along with the museum all of the pupils attended a lesson within the working part of the studio and here they learnt about the process of taking an idea from concept to production. It was fascinating to hear and discuss all of the roles and jobs within film production of the Harry Potter series. These included everyone from writers, concept designers and model makers to location scouts and animal trainers. It was particularly pleasing to see the pupils so engaged and enthralled by the variety of creative careers, which Warner Brothers proudly claimed, is now ‘the country’s second largest source of revenue’.

The museum housed a spectacular array of artefacts in a huge variety of mediums, exemplifying the diverse and talented workforce involved in the films’ creation. This, backed up with enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff along with clear written information gave the students a tremendous educational resource to challenge even the biggest Harry Potter fan!