Hogwarts for Home Educators

Join us in The Zoom of Requirement where education meets imagination

With a holistic approach to education our primary aim is to engage your child’s imagination through creative play and transfigure muggle teaching topics into magical classes.

Our lessons are informative, magical and entertaining, with accompanying workbooks and optional challenges set after each lesson allowing the children to immerse themselves in this magical world. All our classes are currently full but please get in touch to make enquiries about availability on our next 12 week course which will run on Tuesday mornings between 11am and 12pm from the 7th of January 2025.

If you can’t make a class for any reason don’t worry! We’ll send you a recording to watch at your leisure!

Students will also receive their letter from Hogwarts prior to the course starting, inviting them to take part! At the end of the 12 weeks students will be offered the opportunity to sign up for a second term of 12 weeks running from Sep- Nov with an optional, there are also 6 week courses in between full terms running through May and June. AND because even after a year with us our witches and wizards don’t want to leave the Zoom of Requirement we’ve now added a third and fourth term which includes a Magical Healing lesson, arithmancy, the Tri Wizard tournament quest and the popular foraging in the forbidden forest!

Cost is £72 with a discount for siblings. This course is ideal for those aged 8 – 12 but exceptions can be made.

So, grab your robes and wands and prepare for an experience like no other!

“Thank you so much for another wonderful lesson! Your lessons are all Noah talks about! He loves them so much and we just live in a countdown to the next one! Thank you!”

“The Home education lady that comes to assess him has said how much of a difference it's made. He wouldn't go near a video call etc and he doesn't usually talk to people. He loves been on with you guys though. Thank you so much for being so amazing”

“Think you know how much Tabitha has LOVED the classes, she doesn't want it to end. Thank you so much, for an amazing experience, it really has been fabulous... The children are so lucky to have experienced Hogwarts with you. Even if in 5 years time you ran more classes I think Tabitha would be ready to sign up!”

“Thank you for everything. You both have been amazing and we have both loved The Zoom Of Requirement. It has really helped her blossom with confidence. You both have been a vital step to her achieving her wish of attending school again. Thank you. Xx”

“They really do get transported to Hogwarts on a Monday!”

“Can’t recommend highly enough. So creative and so much fun!”

“Jacob has loved his time in the Zoom of requirement. He has asked if he can do some more sessions if you have any other classes he can join? Thank you for your amazing classes, they have all been great”

FAQ’s

Is it all on zoom? And will they be expected to keep their cameras on?

Yes, the Zoom of requirement sessions are all on zoom. The children usually keep their cameras on and unmute when they want to contribute. Some of our students, however, prefer to be off camera and muted for the sessions and once we've been able to get to know them a little we have no problem with them doing whatever makes them most comfortable. Many choose to still contribute through the chat function which is fab.

We do not however allow our students to be off camera without having met them first for safeguarding reasons. A solo session can be arranged before the start of term, for no extra charge, if this would be helpful.

What subjects do you cover in the sessions?

We cover a wide variety of subjects. Each lesson is different and taught by a different member of the Hogwarts staff. For example, Professor Sprout, after showing the class how to re-pot their mandrakes, gives the class a presentation about magical muggle plants with the help of her talking plant Jeffrey. Charms class is a drama class encouraging imaginative play and, since so many of Rowling's magical words are based in Latin, the class is also a fascinating exploration into etymology. Dragons with Hagrid is also a geography class. Our defence against the dark arts teacher is a vampire who gives a presentation about blood. Astronomy obviously looks at planets and constellations. I could go on but it's such a fun course and the classes are a strong mix of magical entertainment and real world teaching topics.

How much would it cost for both my children?

A single child is £72 and you can add a sibling for £48. So you would pay £120 for both for the term.

Is there home work?

There is always a student presentation in the next lesson following each subject featuring anything the children produced and sent to us during the week, but the children decide on how they are involved or even if they are involved. Many choose never to be involved. But it's very much on their terms. One of our wizards often sends us a video of him singing about his classes. Others prefer to craft and make art work about the topic or even use minecraft, one of our witches loves any excuse to make a stop motion video and she is getting really good at it! There is no obligation to produce written work and we like to think we create a safe environment for the children to express themselves however they want to without fear.

Egg-citing times ahead!

This Easter we’ll be bringing an eggs-tra special sparkle to your Easter celebrations with personal visits from the Easter Bunny!

Your visit will be about 20-30 minutes and will start with Springtime Susie knocking on your door and asking for help. The Easter Bunny is out delivering eggs but she’s lost him! Once he’s been found you can expect silliness, a springtime sing song with Susie and of course Easter eggs and egg hunts!!

“I can't thank you enough for the visit - you were fantastic! Izzy was totally amazed by it all. You have made her day”

Thank you so much for today, you really put a smile on Billy’s face, much love and a massive thank you xxx

What a fantastic visit! Love how personalised it is and the detail that goes into each visit!!!

You are absolutely fantastic. Thankyou very much Susie the kids absolutely loved the visit. Please may we book again for next year?

Thanks to the popularity of our Santa visits most of our slots are fully booked for Easter Weekend but there are still a few slots left so get in touch!

We promise it will be egg-citing, egg-ceptional and egg-straordinary!

Halloween Hijinks

Some of our Halloween Hosts!

The jack-o'-lanterns are burning, glowing in the night

And here at Magic and Mischief we love to give you a fright!

We sure love Halloween, it's one of our favourite times of year

Don't believe us? Meet our party hosts! We promise there's nothing to fear

 

Witches, vampires, even zombie game show hosts

Dave of the Dead will throw parties for all your little ghosts

Our friends Trick and Treat are quite the mischievous pair

And Jack Pumpkinhead will certainly give your party spooky flair!

 

And don’t forget things are never a bore

At the spooky school of Nevermore

 

So never fear it’s not too late

to give your Halloween parties an extra scare

Give Susie Sparkles and friends a call

We only scare because we care!

100 Sleeps until Christmas!

Hello!!

 

With all this heat it’s hard to think of snow

But sleeps before Christmas? There are only 100 to go!

 

I’m sure your family are top of Santa’s nice list again

And we hope you’d like a visit from your bearded friend

 

On the 10th of December we’ll start our tour

And on the 16th and 17th we’ll have visits galore!

 

And since schools, despite Christmas, always get their way!

We’ve only got the 22nd and 23rd before the big day!

 

Let us know what dates are good for you

And we’ll let you know what we can do!

 

We sing and dance and bring presents too

And Santa’s book knows all about you!

 

If you don’t know how good our home visits are

Then allow us to quote some of our reviews so far!

 

I love their authentic outfits and attention to detail. He has a proper Santa’s book with the nice list in it. They swot up on each child and honestly the kids faces is so magical - I’m still buzzing from it xx they make every single visit so personalised - I love it xx

That visit was amazing!! So many little details - made it magical xx the best Santa experience ever!! Who else has a Sparkles Elf that can hold a tune & play an instrument xx kids have no clue who either of you are still!! After all these parties!! This is why I swear by you guys - only the best for my little munchkins xx

Thank you so much for today, you really put a smile on Billy’s face, he said it must be Santa because he knows things about me, that no one else would know, much love and a massive thank you xxx

You guys are amazing! You are so inclusive, engaging and all round wonderful people. Lennie loves you

You spread so much magic! Well done and thanks again. made my oldest believe again

Big thank u again this has been the first year kira has been excited for santa and not screamed when she's seen him the fact she said bye Santa as u left melted me. Even asked for more santa after you’d gone

Wow! The ACTUAL Father Christmas and an elf!

 

Sounds amazing I think you’ll agree

And all that magic for a £35 fee!

 

So tell us the dates you like and give us your postcode too

And we’ll start planning how to bring a merry Christmas to you!

 

Looking forward to seeing you again!

Best wishes

Sparkles the Elf and Santa Claus

Santa Claus is coming to town!

With the end of Summer drawing near

Our attention has turned to Christmas cheer!

Your family are top of Santa’s nice list again

And we hope you’d like a visit from your bearded friend

On the 17th and 18th of December we’ll start our tour

And on the 21st, 22nd and 23rd we’ll do visits galore!

Let us know what dates are good for you

And we’ll let you know what we can do!

We sing and dance and bring presents too

And Santa’s book knows all about you!

If you don’t know how good our home visits are

Then allow us to quote some of our reviews so far!

I love their authentic outfits and attention to detail. He has a proper Santa’s book with the nice list in it. They swot up on each child and honestly the kids faces is so magical - I’m still buzzing from it xx they make every single visit so personalised - I love it xx

That visit was amazing!! So many little details - made it magical xx the best Santa experience ever!! Who else has a Sparkles Elf that can hold a tune & play an instrument xx kids have no clue who either of you are still!! After all these parties!! This is why I swear by you guys - only the best for my little munchkins xx

Thank you so much for today, you really put a smile on Billy’s face, he said it must be Santa because he knows things about me, that no one else would know, much love and a massive thank you xxx

You guys are amazing! You are so inclusive, engaging and all round wonderful people. Lennie loves you

You spread so much magic! Well done and thanks again. made my oldest believe again

Big thank u again this has been the first year kira has been excited for santa and not screamed when she's seen him the fact she said bye Santa as u left melted me. Even asked for more santa after you’d gone

Wow! The ACTUAL Father Christmas and an elf!

Sounds amazing I think you’ll agree

And all that magic for a £30 fee!

So tell us the dates you like and give us your postcode too

And we’ll start planning how to bring a merry Christmas to you!

 

Looking forward to seeing you! Best wishes

Sparkles the Elf and Santa Claus

Enchanted by Encanto!

Here at Sparkles towers we are huge fans of all our themes. Whether it’s Disney, Marvel heroes, Harry Potter or Paw Patrol you’d be hard pressed to find entertainers who are as knowledgeable and passionate about the theme as we are but I’ve got to admit one theme has me more excited than others at the moment. ENCANTO!!!

I love it!! The songs are all fabulous, I know, I know the song we don’t talk about gets stuck in your head but Lin Manuel Miranda, who also wrote the gorgeous songs for Moana, has absolute nailed each song in the film. Or is that just the singer in me? They really are bonkers fun to sing! Surface pressure especially, you can’t help but get completely carried away with it! And we do! Every Encanto party we have has to have at least one sing-a-long!

Tunesday Encanto Zoom Sing-a-long!

We were also really excited about putting together the costumes! All those bright colours and patterns! and who doesn’t love a swishy swirly skirt with bloomers underneath!!! And our birthday boys and girls are loving the costumes too!!

But for me the best thing about performing at an Encanto themed party is being Mirabel! She is warm and funny and has such a positive vibe that you get completely caught up in her party mood! Let’s go!!! I for one hope we never stop talking about Bruno and his family! And the fiestas keep on coming!

3 Facts You May not Know About Encanto!!!

1) Clothes Make the Character

If you look closely, you’ll notice that the wardrobe of each character displays the magical gift they possess. The barbells on Luisa’s skirt are representative of her strength. Pepa, whose mood affects the weather, wears sunshine earrings. Isabella, who can make plants and flowers grow, wears a dress covered with bright blossoms. And those are just a few examples. The only exception is Mirabel, who was not granted a gift. Looking at her clothing, you’ll notice that it contains images representative of each member of her family, a fitting detail given that she is the one the family’s future depends upon.

Despite not being magical (because he married into the family) Agustin, Mirabel’s father, also has symbols hidden in his attire: a flower on his vest for Isabella, a sock with weights on it for Luisa, and another sock featuring embroidery like that on Mirabel’s dress.

2) Bruno was supposed to be Oscar!

It turns out, there was a time when no one would have talked about Bruno. The reclusive member of the Madrigal clan was initially known as Oscar. According to director Jared Bush, the team encountered a ‘legal snag’ after discovering several real people in Columbia named Oscar Madrigal, which forced them to make the change.

3) ‘Surface Pressure’ was a Highly Personal Song for Miranda

Composer Lin Manuel Miranda states that the song ‘Surface Pressure’ was inspired by his older sister Luz.

Speaking with the Washington Post, he stated, “She takes on way more responsibility than I do — I was very aware that I was the baby brother who got away with everything — so Surface Pressure is very much a love letter to my sister.” 

Eggstra! Eggstra! Read all about it!

This Easter we’ll be bringing an eggs-tra special sparkle to your Easter celebrations with personal visits from the Eater Bunny!

Your visit will be about 20-30 minutes and will start with Springtime Susie knocking on your door and asking for help. The Easter Bunny is out delivering eggs but she’s lost him! Once he’s been found you can expect silliness, a springtime sing song with Susie and of course Easter eggs and egg hunts!!

“I can't thank you enough for the visit - you were fantastic! Izzy was totally amazed by it all. You have made her day”

Thank you so much for today, you really put a smile on Billy’s face, he said it must be Santa because he knows things about me, that no one else would know, much love and a massive thank you xxx

What a fantastic visit from santa and sparkles the elf!!! Love how personalised it is and the detail that goes into each visit!!! And Caelyn said he can't believe santa knew everything!!!

You are absolutely fantastic. Thankyou very much Susie the kids absolutely loved the visit. Please may we book again for next year?

Thanks to the popularity of our Santa visits most of our slots are fully booked for Easter Weekend but there are still a few slots left so get in touch!

We promise it will be egg-citing, egg-ceptional and egg-straordinary!

 

Santa Claus is coming to town!

In these crazy times plans can change pretty quickly so if you need a little festive cheer, and you’ve been especially good this year, Santa might just be able to come and visit you at home.

Very limited space left but as we all know things can and do change very quickly these days so give us a call if you think we can bring our own brand of Santa’s magic to your doorstep.

Sparkles the Elf 0788 764 8734

"Thank you so much, that was fabulous! You have made two little children's Christmas!"

"Thank you so much! You brought joy not only to Matilda but to us too!"

"Happy Christmas, you do an amazing job!"

Magical Parties like no other

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I’m sorry all other party entertainers but our Harry Potter parties can not be beaten!

We have the most magical activities, the most convincing Hogwarts Professors, we can’t be stumped by questions from even the most devoted Potter fan and we even have owls for goodness sake!!

And even though Zoom Parties are no longer a necessity our Zoom of Requirement is still busy because where else can your children truly believe they are performing the floating feather charm? Where else can they produce a patronus and defeat a real dementor? And where else can make even older children think twice about whether Hogwarts is actually calling them!

We love our magical parties in every way and the families that book us love us too so if you have a magical celebration coming up don’t forget to invite us! You can send us an owl here.

Return to Hogwarts

Just last Sunday after our Hogwarts Yule ball I put Professor McGonagall’s clothes away and wondered when I would get the chance to wear them again.

Being the current Headmistress of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry had become a weekly, sometimes daily, occurrence during the first lockdown but now it had become a special treat and our Yule ball was supposed to be a bit of a farewell. Gathering all our Hogwarts Students who’d joined us every week for our Hogwarts Homework show from March to August and saying goodbye to each other and that fun chapter from our strange year! Little did we know that we were days away from being right back where we started.

Hogwarts Homework was hugely popular with our young witches and wizards for a few reasons. One, they got to contribute to each show as the professors would showcase the homework they’d sent in during the week. Two, we tried to be inventive while creating our magical world with no Hollywood budget! And Three, there was Jeffrey. A hilarious plant who lives in the Herbology department at Hogwarts and sings songs about his creator Professor Longbottom! After Jeffrey appeared in the show he became a star in his own right and even started to get his own birthday bookings! And there were many children who wanted Jeffrey to wish them a happy birthday!!

We loved hearing that we were transporting the children to Hogwarts every week and it challenged us to come up with exciting new ideas. One of the most popular lessons was going to see our friend Professor Alba and her owls at the Flying Squadron and equally popular was the duelling video we made with all our students casting spells on each other! But there were simple things too that delighted our students we had feathers and owls on invisible string, mirror tricks for moving portraits and we even borrowed our neighbours bearded dragons for a care of Magical Creatures class.

When we finished the weekly classes at the end of August, after an epic plot line involving horcruxes returning from the past via a stolen time turner, we missed it terribly and now we’re gearing up to bring it back we are in equal measure shocked and delighted! And hopefully we will have enough new lessons and tricks up our sleeve for a second term.

Hard to think we’ve been living in this strange virtual world with limited contact for almost a year now but also hard to imagine is a world in which I don’t know some of the people who have become so important in our lives. Our Hogwarts family. The teachers, the students and of course Jeffrey.

Professor McGonagall will be addressing Hogwarts students past and present on Friday morning at 11am live on the portrait wall known to muggles as Facebook. Hogwarts classes will resume in the Zoom of requirement on Monday the 11th at 11am. You are most welcome to join us. Let’s see what magic we can make together this time.

and of course our headmistress….

and of course our headmistress….

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