To think, I thought all that stuff in the Harry Potter book accurately described British schooling. Oh well. No broomsticks at all? Damnit.

Well, everything Rob and I have said applies to state schools, or what in the USA would be called "public schools". Private schools, the posher ones of which are confusingly known in the UK as "public schools", much more closely resemble Harry Potter's school. Except for the broomsticks. Or at least, not for that purpose. Allegedly. (UK "public schoolboy" is AFAICT the equivalent term to USA "preppie".)

I was just thinking that the UK is quite well-supplied with depictions of USA schools (My So-Called Life, Welcome To The Dollhouse, and the brilliant The Wonder Years); I bet Grange Hill isn't shown in the USA at all.

Peter