Boarding schools are back in fashion.

Harry Potter's life at Hogwarts boarding school is the book and cinema hit of the year and the new children's programme 24/7 is proving popular.

Living and enjoying a Harry Potter moment are, left to right, New Hall boarders Harriet Watson (11), Domino St Clair (10) and Ciara Morley (12)

In Essex this interest is one of the many factors contributing to the rise in the number of children wanting the real life boarding school experience.

Anne Byatt, spokeswoman for New Hall School in Boreham, said they had definitely noted an increase since the Harry Potter books had become popular. However, she said that historically children had always based their desire to board on the boarding schools they found in literature, for example Tom Brown and the Enid Blyton books.

Boarding in the 21st century is not as it was in Tom Brown's day, nor as it is at Hogwarts; social services and child protection legislation mean that cold baths and gloomy dormitories were a thing of the past.

But the element of the Harry Potter books that attracts children and their parents remains true, the busy social life and the close and enduring friendships that are made.

Mrs Byatt said: " The girls make terrifically strong friendships that you only find in boarding schools."

Daniel Griggs, speaking for Felsted School, said that there had been a marked upturn in the past 18 months in the number of students boarding, but believes the main factor is the economic climate.

"In the early 80s it was very popular, we had about 85 per cent boarding. In the mid-90s it dropped to around 60 per cent and now we are back up to 75 per cent and it looks as if it will keep rising. What we find is that the day students soon translate to boarders. It's amazing how many children we have who live 20 minutes away and board. Boarding life is interesting - there is always something going on."

Published Thursday November 29, 2001