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Silver and Copper Awards Achieved by Cambridge Chemistry Challenge Entrants

Well done to students Tessa Hedstrand and Ella Sutherland, who were awarded silver level certificates in the recent Cambridge Chemistry Challenge. They were joined by a further five students, Finlay Pearce, Havreen Sahota, Jack James Pearson, Jacob Holloway and Nicole Burgess, who were successful in achieving copper awards. Students from 500 schools participated in the Challenge, which is open to students from Year 12 and below who are studying in the UK. The challenge consists of a 90 minute written paper which entrants sit at school. The best performing students receive certificates of merit, and those with the highest scores are invited to a residential camp at the University of Cambridge at the end of August.

An example of a recent question related to the recent report concerning the leak of potassium permanganate into the water supply in the Canadian town of Onoway.  The challenge is aimed to test a student’s ability to think their way successfully through unfamiliar material, and SCD students certainly showed a great aptitude for doing exactly that!

To find out more about the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge please follow the link below: 

http://www.c3l6.org/posts

 

 

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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.