How I run the education system in my Harry Potter neighbourhood.
This is subject to change frequently as I'm still in the process of setting the game up.
Pre-School (ages 0-3)
There is no official pre-school curriculum, but learning through play is encouraged.
All parents are expected to teach their toddlers to walk, talk and use the toilet. If these are not instructed the toddler is forced to grow up badly, and is also at risk of being taken from the parents due to neglect and transfered to another suitable relative/guardian.
Primary School (ages 4-10)
Children may either attend a 'muggle' primary school, regular or private, or they may be taught at home by a parent or tutor. Children are expected to maintain at least a C grade average.
Learning at home is achieved by
Simlogical's school mods. The children are enrolled in the flexischool and are then taught by a parent or other adult.
All children are expected to have attained at least the following skills before they turn 11:
2 logic points
2 creativity points
2 cooking points
Hogwarts lower classes (ages 11-13)
These represent the first and second years at Hogwarts and are within the 'child' sim age stage.
Arrival and Sorting
In the September following their 11th birthday, children move to Hogwarts and are sorted into their House. In gameplay, the sorting has to occur first, with a trip to the Hogwarts Express followed by the Great Hall community lots. Children are sorted based on their personality points, friendships, family loyalties and other determining factors on the following
loose criteria:
Hufflepuff: - high nice points, high relationships with peers and family, a family background of Hufflepuff House, high skills in body and charisma, traits: Hardworking, Charismatic, Generous, Good.
Gryffindor: - high playful points, a family background of Gryffindor House, high skills in body and charisma, traits: Performer, Brave, Charismatic, Confident, Good.
Ravenclaw: - high neat points, low serious points, a family background of Ravenclaw House, a high amount of any skills but especially logic, traits: Bookworm, Logical, Organised, Hard-working, Genius.
Slytherin: - low nice points, a family background of Slytherin, existing friends/connections within Slytherin or 'high places', a high amount of skills in one particular focused area, traits: Entrepreneur, Ambitious, Selfish, Confident, Genius, Hardworking.
Once the house is determined, the child is summoned to the relevant House section using the
teleporter cat and moved in. At this point, it is important that they also develop a relationship with their Head of House and housemates, and so the first few days do not contain any lessons for the first years, but rather they can spend the time making relationships and exploring the castle.
Classes
Classes consist of both skill-learning, teamwork and also 'gradework'. The latter is done via Simlogical's school table.
The curriculum for 1st and 2nd years consists of:
Astronomy - Logic skilling via the telescopes on the Astronomy tower.
Charms - Charisma and mechanical skilling plus gradework.
Defence Against the Dark Arts - Body and cleaning skilling plus practical partnerwork. (in gameplay in the form of playing and talking interactions)
Herbology - Gardening skill in the greenhouses.
History of Magic - Charisma skilling and gradework.
Potions - Cooking and cleaning skilling plus potions using
this cauldron.
Transfiguration - mechanical and creativity skilling.
Flying - Body skilling and teamwork activities (in the form of playing and talking interations).
At the end of the second year, all students should have attained the following skills (total):
2 logic points
2 creativity points
2 cooking points
2 cleaning points
2 mechanical points
1 body point
1 charisma point
a bronze skill badge in gardening.
the above are the equivalent of an 'Acceptable' grade (C grade).
Lower grades: Poor, Dreadful, Troll.
Higher grades: Exceeds Expectations, Outstanding.
Free time and weekends
Free time and weekends can be spent catching up on homework/skilling, or playing in the Castle grounds.
Letters home may be written (in gameplay - emails).
Uniform does not need to be worn in evenings and at weekends.
Bedtime
All first and second years must be in bed by 9pm, unless attending a night Astronomy class. All students are assigned a bed within their dormitory which they must keep tidy.
Hogwarts middle classes (ages 13-15)
These represent the third and fourth years at Hogwarts and are within the 'teen' age stage.
Classes
In addition to classes taught in years 1 and 2, students may select a minimum of two additional elective classes from the following:
Arithmancy - Logic skilling.
Care of Magical Creatures - cleaning skilling plus training and caring for pets.
Divination - creativity skilling plus pairwork in the form of talking interactions.
Muggle Studies - mechanical and charisma skilling
Ancient Runes - Logic and Creativity skilling
Additional Extra Curricula activities
Music Class
Art Class
Quidditch - in the form of a career
Dance Class - in the form of a career
Tutoring younger years - in the form of a career
Free time and weekends
Third and Fourth years are allowed to spend time in Hogsmeade on certain weekends visiting the shops there or meeting with family in the town.
If on the quidditch team, they may also spend time unaccompanied at the Quidditch pitch for additional practice.
Bedtime
All third and fourth years must be in bed by 10pm, unless attending a night Astronomy class.
Hogwarts OWL year (age 15-16)
This represents the fifth year at Hogwarts.
OWLS
At the end of the year, all fifth year students sit their OWL exams. They must have achieved the following skills:
4 logic points
3 creativity points
3 cooking points
3 cleaning points
4 mechanical points
2 body point
3 charisma point
a silver skill badge in gardening.
the above are the equivalent of an 'Acceptable' grade (C grade).
Lower grades: Poor, Dreadful, Troll.
Higher grades: Exceeds Expectations, Outstanding.
Prefects and Quidditch Captain
2 fifth years from each house, one girl, one boy, are selected as House prefect at the start of their fifth year.
This is played out using the prefect career for teens.
Prefects are expected to assist and look after younger years, moderate behaviour in the castle and perform other duties such as cleaning up classrooms or preparing activities.
Fifth year students are eligible to be chosen as Quidditch Captain.
This is played out using the quidditch career for teens. Up to two students per house may be captain/co-captains.
Prefects and Quidditch Captains are entitled to use the prefect's bathroom.
Extra curricular, Free time and Weekends and Bedtime
Are as third and fourth years, but prefects and Quidditch Captains are allowed to be out of bed after hours.
Hogwarts NEWTS years (ages 16-18)
This represents the sixth and seventh years at Hogwarts.
NEWTS
Sixth year students only carry on with 4-6 subjects and can therefore begin to specialise in their skills.
At the end of the seventh year, the student should have achieved
at least 4 skill points or a silver badge in the skills associated with their NEWT subjects. This represents an 'Acceptable' at NEWT level.
Particularly talented students may take an advanced class in a subject taught privately by a professor.
Prefects, Quidditch Captain and Head Boy/Girl
Those chosen as prefects in their fifth year, continue to be prefects in their sixth and seventh, unless their behaviour causes the position to be taken away from them.
Sixth and Seventh years are eligible to be Quidditch captain.
One seventh year girl is chosen to be Head Girl and one boy to be Head Boy. These two students act as ambassadors to the school, attending social events and carrying out certain duties. This is played using the prefect career for teens.
Extra curricular, Free time and Weekends, and Bedtime
As sixth and seventh years are expected to be responsible for their own wellbeing, there is no set curfew for bed.
Free time and weekends may be spent as the student pleases, and they may visit Hogsmeade village at any time before the hour of 10pm. They may also have a part-time job in Hogsmeade in the evenings and at weekends if they can balance this with their studies.
Graduating
At the end of the seventh year, the student's School Grade is adjusted dependent on their skills achieved, and this is their final grade.
Seventh years may move back with their parents, into a place of their own, or they may extend their education at a Further Education Academy.
Holidays
The Christmas and Easter holidays may be spent at home (moving back with the teleport cat) or at Hogwarts. There are no classes during this time, although there may be homework assignments set by professors.
The Summer holidays are spent at home (moving back with the teleport cat) and it is during the Summer after their second year that the age transition from child to teen occurs. Again there are no classes, but time may be spent catching up on skill-building if required.
Some families (or older students with their friends) may use the school holidays to have a holiday abroad.
At the end of the holidays, all students are teleported back to their school House, ready for the new term.
Further Education
Those wishing to extend their education or study for a particular career can spend their young-adult years at an academy or similar. This represents ages 18-22.
The Dilys Derwent Medical Academy - for mediwitches and healers in training.
Auror training at the Ministry - for those wishing to be Aurors.
Wizarding Academy for Dramatic Arts - for music, dance and drama.
Academy of Broom Flying and other Wizarding Sports - for sports studies, leading into the Quidditch Career.
An apprenticeship - in particular subjects: Potions, Runes, etc.
This list will probably be expanded upon as my sims grow up and have aspirations!
