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Sixth Form Building Committee Presents to Senior Leadership Team

Following enlargement and improvement of the Sixth Form Quiet Zone, Silent Study Zone, café and entrance of the Sixth Form, the Senior Leadership Team have been considering the organisation, resourcing and redecoration of these spaces.  The potential budget for this project is £2000, and the SLT were keen to have student input. They asked Sixth Form students to form a Sixth Form Building Committee in order to meet, research, discuss and present plans for this project, and gave students a brief as to the questions that they should be researching.  The students were given six weeks to formulate a strategy and prepare a twenty minute presentation for SLT for the last week of term.

 

This week, the students presented their ideas to Dr Valentine and other members of the SLT. Miss Brogan, Head of Sixth Form, commented on the highly professional and rigorous standard of their presentation, in which architectural drawings and diagrams were thoroughly researched, following their discussion with a school architect. "The students’ ideas were creative, using mature and responsible ideas for use of the space, which included new benching in the café, soft seating in the Quiet Zone, re-use of furniture and lockers, and a new one way system in the café." The leadership team asked the students challenging questions, to which they were able to respond knowledgeably and confidently.

Head Girl Mia O’Connell said “We worked really well together as a group and put together what we hoped was a considered, professional presentation. We were delighted that it was so well received by the Senior Leadership Team.”

 

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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.