"Say what you like about Hogwarts but it's difficult to deny its 'old school' charm struck a chord with millions of avid readers both young and old. Amongst the many effects of Harry Potter in our education system was the revival, or re-emergence, in the state sector at least, of that gloriously stereotypical mainstay of public education: houses.
Having been fortunate enough to spend a career working across a rich variety of settings, centres and schools - both private and state-led - I have seen many examples of the house system; and many examples of both the best - and the most pointless - systems and what they do or don't achieve."