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Commemoration 2017

Today, St Clement Danes celebrated Commemoration in two memorable services. In The Strand, Years 7, 11, 12 and 13 were joined by staff, parents, Governors, Trustees and guests. Head Boy Matthew Leveridge carried the processional cross and Head Girl Mia O'Connell joined Dr Valentine in giving a reading. The address was given by Mr Butler who retired from the school as Deputy Head in July. He amused the assembled Year 7 students by talking to them about going to Bude as a Head of Year 7 15 years before any of them were born. As ever, Year 7 and the choir sang beautifully and the first orchestra sounded magnificent.

In Chorleywood, students from both St Clement Danes and Croxley Danes joined in a service in the Barbirolli Hall. The theme of the service was the origin of House names and a large number of students were involved in delivering presentations and performing musical numbers. The address was given by local vicar Reverend Horlock. He picked up the theme of the service in his talk by using a building metaphor, urging the students to build bridges not walls and act as a construction crane in their dealings with others, not a wrecking ball.

Many thanks, as ever, to all the members of staff and students who made both services so memorable. 'Commem' is a day Old Danes remember fondly and, with services like these, this comes as no surprise.

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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.