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Audience Taken to Narnia in Lower School Production

An audience of parents and staff were transported to Narnia yesterday evening in the opening night of this year’s Lower School Production, ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.’ In a superb piece of staging, the opening scene took place in the foyer of Student Services to represent the ‘real’ world of the play. Audience members stood to watch this scene before being led, literally, through the wardrobe of the play and into the drama studio, transformed by superb scenery and lighting design into Narnia. The audience were delighted by the performance, with one younger member declaring it ‘totally awesome’. The cast, comprised of students from Years 7 to 10, were directed by Mrs Golding and supported by a large number of talented students fulfilling backstage roles. Siena, Amelie and Eliza, cast members from Year 10, described how the whole cast and crew had worked so well together since rehearsals started after Easter. ‘Despite the challenges of acting whilst manipulating polystyrene legs, playing Aslan was great fun and a totally different experience to anything we’d done before,’ Eliza and Amelie explained, whilst all paid tribute to the hard work and dedication of the teachers who have worked so hard with them. Aslan himself was generously loaned to the drama department by Burnham Grammar School with other props supplied by St Peter Players and Ricky Players. Many thanks go  to all the students and staff who should be congratulated on this superb production.

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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.