HE has already worked his magic on the reading habits of a generation, now Harry Potter could be prompting a revival in another declining tradition.

Boarding schools are reporting increasing interest from children wanting to live away from home, inspired by the young wizard's experiences at Hogwarts.

And there are hopes the release of the first Harry Potter film could help strengthen this trend.

Ian Angus, joint principal of girls' boarding school, Queen Mary's, at Topcliffe, said: "It has come up in a few conversations with parents, that their daughter believes boarding is fun because Harry Potter found it fun.

"Boarding fell out of favour in the 1980s but this is definitely helping to bring it back. We're hoping the film is going to do an enormous amount for boarding."

Figures from the Independent Schools Information Service show the number of children going to boarding schools has fallen from about 120,000 15 years ago, to 70,000 today.

Joint national director Dick Davison said parents did not send their children to boarding schools on the basis of Harry Potter, but the books were helping to improve their image

He said: "Nobody is pretending that modern boarding schools are like Hogwarts, but the reality is very different from the traditional image. Harry Potter has helped make boarding interesting again."

Jon Glen, headmaster of Terrington Hall Preparatory School, near Malton, said: "We have no doubt that it is inspiring a minority, although a substantial minority, of children to encourage their parents to at least have a look at boarding.

"Parents have also mentioned it in passing, and having read the books, they think at least they will see what boarding schools are like."

Ted Haslam, headteacher of Barnard Castle Preparatory School, said the books were very popular among the pupils.

He said: "They're not expecting Barnard Castle School to be Hogwarts, but it does give them an idea of the fun and friendship of being at boarding school.

"They may be doing for boarding schools in the year 2000 what the Jennings books did in the 1950s and 1960s.