Competition

When children get a new video game, they don’t want to go to bed.  They would play all night if you let them.  They keep playing until they win.  Then they want a new game!

At Phoenix, learning will be a game—work hard, and you win.  The houses with the best scores will win prizes.  Teamwork pays—houses lose points if they don’t help the slowest pupils.

 

Competition is a normal part of life.  Losing is a normal part of life.  Prizes mean nothing when everyone has one.  Most pupils understand this, even if their teachers don’t.

 

Competition works in schools, too.  At first, very few children are eager to study algebra or learn how to spell words like ‘perseverance’.  But if you make a competition out of it, they will do almost anything—you can even get boys reading fiction! [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/7976044/Extraordinary-School-for-Boys-helping-boys-love-literacy.html]  And once they discover that they are good at a subject, they almost always enjoy it.

 

Competition is the best way to get children working in teams.  Winning depends upon close co-operation with your team-mates.   At Phoenix, competition between Houses and individuals will be a part of every day life.