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Speech Day 2017

On Friday, the school celebrated the successes of its student body at the annual Speech Day.

With the junior event taking place in the morning and the senior prize giving after lunch, hundreds of gathered students, parents and guests were able to enjoy the speeches and musical items and celebrate the students’ success. Both events were accompanied by superb performances by the First Orchestra and excellent speeches by the Head Boy and Girl, Matthew Leveridge and Mia O'Connell. Chair of Governors, Mr Mike Brasier, began by welcoming parents, students and guests and praised the work of the school in the past year, in particular singling out the magnificent performance of the Verdi Requiem, saying that “no challenge is too great for this school and its students.” In her speech, Dr Valentine paid tribute to those receiving prizes and thanked the staff for their “day in day out pursuit of excellence and care for the students” finishing by reminding the audience that St Clement Danes is “probably still the best school in the world.” Local MP David Gauke presented the prizes at the morning event. In his speech he urged the students to “embrace new opportunities” which will help prepare them for an ever changing world of work.

In the afternoon, Mr and Mrs Galli-Atkinson, Road Safety Campaigners, presented the prizes and spoke. Their daughter, Livia, attended St Clement Danes and, aged 16, was killed by a motorist later charged with dangerous driving. Mr and Mrs Atkinson, who subsequently campaigned vigorously for sentences in such cases to be toughened, spoke to the students about the importance of educating people in order to reduce the chances of such tragedy being inflicted on other families.

As the day came to a close, the prestigious Poppleton Prize for service to the school was awarded – this year to Millie Chapman. Dr Valentine spoke about the vast range of activities Millie had been involved in during her time at the school – competing as part of a huge range of school sports teams, leading activities for younger students and taking part in music and drama productions. Dr Valentine also mentioned her work in her local community, where she set up an a cappella choir which we reported on here. The day came to a close with the First Orchestra’s second rendition of the National Anthem.

To misquote Dr Valentine, St Clement Danes probably does Speech Day better than any school in the world, and 2017 was no exception.

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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.