Malaga school morphs into Hogwarts: how 200 pupils are learning maths and magic
From Quidditch to "House Cup" points, CEIP Simón Bolívar transforms its corridors into the Wizarding World to teach conflict resolution and teamwork
Javier G. de Toro
Friday, 20 February 2026, 15:20
A primary school in Malaga city has completely transformed its corridors to resemble the magical world of Harry Potter and teach its students the core values of the book series.
The CEIP Simón Bolívar bilingual school launched this initiative on 30 January. On that day, they assigned each of the 208 students to one of the 'houses' at J.K.Rowling's Hogwarts School of Withcraft and Wizardy. "We assigned positive values to all of them and explained those values to encourage positive coexistence," Headmistress Juana Muñoz told SUR.
While having their normal classes, the students have been earning points to win the 'House Cup' (the annual trophy in the books). "We reward cooperation, conflict resolution skills, teamwork. In other words, values that foster inclusion and unity," Muñoz said.
Magic has also been part of the teaching process. In the first two weeks of February, the teachers used texts, mathematical problems and questions related to the magical world of Harry Potter in all their subjects.
On Monday, 16 February, the last phase of the initiative began: the magical workshops, which has taught students how to make biscuits, sew, write stories, play quidditch and participate in bilingual magic workshops.
Programmes that connect with learners
The school's management has been planning this initiative since June, after the success of the previous project. Last year, CEIP Simón Bolívar launched the first project that combines teaching with a popular topic to connect with learners: the Olympics.
The constant support from families and the Ampa association of students' parents has been key for the success of this programme. "It is a small school, there are very few of us. We have 18 teachers on staff and a few who come occasionally to work with 208 pupils," the school says. The staff are also grateful for the participation of their neighbouring school, CEIP Hernández Cánovas and Fundación Didáctica XXI.
The Harry Potter initiative ends on 20 February. The school will reuse all of the decorations for other themed events, all with the same objective: connecting to British culture. The 'House Cup', however, will be presented during the Día de Andalucía celebration on 27 February.
Muñoz told SUR that, although they will remove the decorations, the school will maintain this dynamic of learning throughout the year, especially on World Book Day (23 April).
