This week saw the latest instalment of our fruitful partnership with Reading School as 40 mere muggles from LIV to Sixth Form took part in their inaugural Harry Potter Quiz. In good British pub quiz fashion, there were drinks and snacks aplenty – though I’m assured that no Butterbeer or Cockroach Clusters were served – and a fierce competition for the first prize raged, possibly comparable to the one fought over the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup…

That’s my yearly dose of Harry Potter references pretty much used up in one short spell (sorry – that one really was too easy), but the visit to our friends and neighbours did make me wonder why our students, in fact why seemingly our whole nation, love taking part in quizzes so much. OK, our ‘Potterheads’ this week had a shared passion, but why do grown-ups and children alike get such excitement and pleasure from taking a quiz? If they were invited to spend their free time taking an assessment, an exam, or undergo an appraisal, I can’t imagine that many would be queuing up.

Indeed, in lessons, some students can’t help but turn a little pale when you mention an upcoming test in a fortnight, but tell them that it’s time for a quiz, without any preparation whatsoever, and it can be hard to control the enthusiasm. As teachers, we know that quizzes can boost self-esteem and confidence, with students offering answers without the fear of failing that we repeatedly urge them to ignore. Sometimes the chance of winning the most meagre of prizes drives them on, but in truth it is the opportunity to challenge themselves that really makes taking part in a quiz a joyful experience.  

Make it a team quiz and the red line in the barometer of fever-pitched enthusiasm goes rocketing upwards even further. Just choosing a team name can lead to students scrabbling for dodgy puns and using words with delightful reckless abandon (though I was a touch disappointed that there were no teams called The Quizzards this week!). The palpable sense of pride and achievement when they whisper the answer to their group first, even if it is just for that single point, is a treat to behold.

Many households grew weary of quizzes during the lockdowns. In the absence of news to share, families and friends tested each other with almost combative ferocity and tedious regularity. Teaching the wonderful Abbey students, and observing them tackle quizzes in lessons, has restored my faith in a good quiz. Indeed, their eagerness to be involved in so many classroom staples – brainstorming, problem-solving, debates, presentations, and peer reviews to name but a handful – provides our teachers with so much pleasure. It is the humble quiz, however, that seems to get the students’ hearts racing like a Harry vs Lord Voldemort spell collision.

George Morton, Deputy Head