Students and staff have seen their hard work pay dividends after becoming world record holders.

The record for the most people dressed up as Harry Potter was smashed yesterday by those at Tanbridge House School in Horsham.

The attempt was part of World Book Week, when youngsters are encouraged to dress up as their favourite literary characters.

Some 521 Year 7 and 8 pupils were kitted out with wands, capes and scarves allowing them to Slytherin to the Guinness Book of World Records and shut the Gryffindor on their competitors.

The previous record stood at 500.

The attempt was the brainchild of the school’s learning resources centre manager, Ben Baker.

He said: “It’s amazing – we are world record holders. It’s a bit of relief to have finally got the nod and we were very lucky with the weather because with so many people we were forced to do this outside. World Book Week is all about celebrating reading and in the past we’ve always dressed up.

“There was a competition that was challenging schools to break a world record. So we knew we had to pick a recognisable character and they don’t come much more recognisable than Harry Potter.

“We’ve been working on it for the last couple of months and we had to draft in parents and helpers.

“Don’t underestimate how long it takes to make 521 wands, hats and accessories.”

Although the record attempt was seen as a bit of fun, there is an important underlying message.

Mr Baker added: “It was really about raising awareness and promoting reading. We have a good literacy culture in the school anyway, so it was a case of keeping the ball rolling.”

Other schools will be gunning to knock them off the top spot when the event comes around next year, but staff and pupils at Tanbridge House are determined to hold onto the title and maybe add a few more.

Mr Baker said: “We’ve got one world record now, so watch this space.”