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Keys to Art and Maths Block Handed Over

On Wednesday 22nd March, Dr Valentine was formally handed the keys to the new extension to the Carey Building. This stunning building includes 8 state of the art maths classrooms  and an expansive 450m2 art teaching area with a photography studio, dark room, increased IT facilities and a fabulous bespoke gallery space. Mark Smalley, a Director of T & E Neville Ltd, the principal contractor, is pictured below with Dr Valentine in front of the main steps to the art rooms on the first floor. The building work has gone very smoothly, with all involved professing themselves to be very pleased with the outcome.

A large team of school staff has been involved from the start and Dr Valentine paid tribute to everyone who has helped to take this project from design to fruition. Talking after the handover, she said: 'I am thrilled with the new facilities. I would like to pay tribute to all those who worked on the project and am looking forward to seeing our students making the most of these stunning facilities when lessons start to take place there next term.'

If you have missed the transition from foundations to finished building, you can see some of the images in the gallery below. Over Easter, the maths department will be moving in, with art following suit later. This will allow for the vacated maths block to be refurbished ready to accommodate Croxley Danes School for its first year of operation.

Gallery

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30th January

Teachers commended for transforming Design & Technology education

We were delighted to read that our Design and Technology teachers, Miss Yalley and Mr Hadley were featured in the Design and Technology publication.  The article discusses the transformation of the Design & Technology (D&T) department at St. Clement Danes School over the past five years. It discusses how Mr Hadley and Miss Yalley took ownership of the subject, implementing a new subject ethos based on trust, excellence, respect, and safety to foster student responsibility and independence. Key Initiatives & Changes Revamping Projects & Curriculum Introduced more challenging design projects at earlier years (Years 8 & 9). Shifted focus to design skills, problem-solving, and justifying choices over just practical outcomes. Prioritized quality over quantity in student projects. Notable projects: Year 7: Robot concepts Year 8: Articulated lamps Year 9: Branded dispensers & modular speakers Encouraging Inclusion & Diversity Created a girls-only club to boost female participation in GCSE Product Design. Sixth-form girls mentor younger students, building confidence and community. Design Ventura Competition Integrated mock coursework with the Design Ventura competition. Encouraged teamwork and prototyping to improve engagement. Use of AI & Technology Introduced cloud-based tools to make learning more accessible. Leveraged AI for idea development and communication. Professional Development & Industry Links Participating in the Teachers in Residence program to gain industry insights. Adopted industry models like the Double Diamond Design Process and Scrum-based project sprints to enhance student learning. Established workshops with industry professionals to inspire students, especially girls, to pursue design careers. Key Takeaways for Educators Adapt curriculum to student needs and school culture. Pilot new initiatives as clubs first to gauge student interest. Encourage student feedback to refine teaching methods. Be open to change and continuously evolve teaching strategies. The article ultimately encourages educators to embrace creativity, experimentation, and student collaboration in D&T education. We are very proud of our teachers for their continued hard work and dedication for each of their subject areas. Congratulations to Mr Hadley and Miss Yalley for their inspiring article and the incredible work they’ve done to transform Design & Technology at St. Clement Danes! Their dedication to fostering creativity, inclusion, and industry connections is truly commendable, and their impact on students will undoubtedly be long-lasting.