FORMER Oxford High School pupil Miriam Margolyes visited a university college to give students tips on acting.

The Oxford-born actress and TV presenter, who played Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter films, visited Magdalen College this week to give a masterclass for the British American Drama Academy.

The organisation has hosted a summer school programme in Oxford every year since 1984.

Alumni of BADA, which is based in London and New York, include actors Justin Theroux, Orlando Bloom, Jennifer Ehle and Friends star David Schwimmer, and the writer Tarell Alvin McCraney who wrote the 2017 Oscar winning film Moonlight.

Carolyn Sands, co-founder and associate director of BADA, said: “The first BADA programme was held at Balliol College in Oxford in July, 1984, with a professional production of The Playboy of the Western World directed by Lindsay Anderson at The Oxford Playhouse, running at the same time as the programme.

“Several of the actors from the production joined the BADA faculty along with several other well-known actors. Peggy Ashcroft our Patron at the time attended our Open Day.

“Our first 80 students of BADA were happy and achieved a great deal. It was all a tremendous success.”

Ms Sands added that a faculty was created to teach the core programme modules.

She added: “We were able to persuade leading actors and directors of British Theatre to come and give master classes for the BADA students in London and Oxford.

“This is a tradition that remains at the heart of BADA and continues today.”

At Christ Church the staircase leading up to the Great Hall was used for the arrival scene for new Hogwarts students in the first two Harry Potter films. BADA currently has its UK headquarters at Gloucester Gate in London.