Philosophy Competition Success!

Congratulations to Izzy (DG/Year 12) who has won first prize in a national philosophy essay competition! The prestigious competition is run annually by the Department of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield and is for students in years 10, 11 or 12 in the UK.

Entrants were asked to choose from a list of topics and write an essay of around 1,000 words. Izzy gained a mark of 83 for her essay; the judging panel gave the following feedback: “Fantastic and interesting paper! You have provided pervasive arguments with rich relevant literatures to justify your views… Brilliant work! Really enjoyed reading it!”

The prize for winning the competition was an £100 Amazon voucher. Izzy, who was “completely shocked” to have won, commented to say: “I entered originally as the topic looked interesting and I’m always up for trying something new. I think winning has given me more confidence to contribute in class also. I’m not sure what I will spend the money on, I didn’t think I would even place let alone win, so I didn’t really think about it! I’ve had a few books on my wish list for a while so I will probably start there. Overall, I’m just completely shocked and excited that I won and I’m looking forward to continuing studying philosophy next year and possibly beyond.”

The aims of the competition are threefold: firstly, to widen interest in philosophy and in studying philosophy at university level among students who would not otherwise be exposed to the subject; secondly, to encourage ambitious and talented secondary school students considering applying to university to study philosophy; and thirdly, to recognize the achievements both of high-calibre students and of those who teach them.

One of Izzy’s philosophy teachers, Dr Lacewing said “Izzy worked hard over the Easter holiday to conduct independent research, develop her ideas, and express them with such force and clarity. I’m delighted her talent and thought were recognised by the judging panel.”

Christ’s Hospital has a vibrant philosophy department, where pupils are encouraged to regularly take part in competitions, debates and philosophy lectures. Pupils can opt to take the subject to GCSE and A level; present numbers are very high and results excellent, with many CH pupils opting to read philosophy at university.