A group of children from Pleckgate High School in Blackburn spent a residential weekend with a difference in Wales.

They were on a residential course at Howell's School, in Denbigh, North Wales, which was on the producer's short-list to provide the backdrop for the first Harry Potter film.

The Year 8 pupils from Pleckgate High School were thrilled to be staying somewhere that came so close to becoming Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Among them was 12-year-old Carl Lever who said, "I think it is really smart because I am a big Harry Potter fan. I would really love to come here again."

Even the dormitories where the children and teachers were sleeping were named after Harry Potter characters like Ron Weasley and Mrs Norris.

Teacher Carol Sourbuts said, "The setting was beautiful. And I think at this point in time when Harry Potter is number one in the popularity stakes that the location is wonderful with lots of open spaces."

The three-day course, delivered by Kingswood PLC , was designed specifically for gifted and talented children.

Other activities included quad biking, scaling an indoor climbing wall, archery and aeroball.

One of the main activities for the 30 pupils was the Popstars programme which involved creating and promoting a virtual pop band.

After the success of television programmes like Pop Idol and Fame Academy, this was the ultimate in manufactured pop - creating and promoting a virtual band.

In effect the children transformed themselves into pop impresarios - masterminding a campaign to propel a band called X-Factor into the charts and on to superstardom.

The Kingswood course involved designing a website, writing the contents, taking the pictures, planning publicity and booking venues - everything that a real-life agent would have to do.

Matthew Selenschuk, aged 13, said: "I think it is really good. I've been watching things like Pop Idol on television and that has given me a better idea what to do. I'm planning to get my band to Number One!"

Friends Alicia Patel and Annabel Nuttall, both 12, had a whale of a time. They had been watching American Pop Idol on television and what they saw helped them create a colourful and effective website where they designed clothes, including "jazzy jeans", for the merchandising campaign.

Other activities included quad biking, scaling an indoor climbing wall, archery and aeroball, an exhausting combination of basketball and trampolining.

The trip from Pleckgate High was made possible by funding from the Government initiative, Excellence in Cities, which aims to realise the potential of gifted and talented children.

Carol Sourbuts said: "The idea is that if you raise achievements at the top level that it pulls everybody else up as well. In the past the money's always been spent on the less able pupils to help them along but very little had previously been put in at the top level."

"We are trying to promote the idea that it's cool to be clever," she added.