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Oracy Day at St Clement Danes

On Thursday 28th June, Year 7s experienced a day where all learning was underpinned by speaking and listening.  The aim was ‘Learning to talk; learning through talk’ and teachers planned and delivered innovative lessons across the curriculum.  Highlights included maths lessons discussing the statistical probabilities of success for different teams in the World Cup, debates designed to deepen and challenge students’ viewpoints in history and geography, student presentations in many subjects and learning l’art de parler in French through song, chant and interviews.

In a very different kind of assembly, students were asked to participate actively by moving into different groups, sharing stories in trios, discussing topics and finishing by listening to feedback in a strong circle.  One student said, “I liked the assembly as it wasn’t a usual one where you would sit down and listen in silence – you got a chance to have a say in it, which I thoroughly enjoyed” and another said “It was a time for me to reflect and communicate with others”.

Over 200 students responded to a survey, with the vast majority enjoying the activities on the day.  One said, “I enjoyed it very much and thought it was interesting and engaging.  I also think that it helped my learning”. Overall, 78% would like more opportunities to learn speaking skills in school.

Some students found the day challenging as they are less confident; we want to work with all the students by giving them opportunities to find their voices and give them strategies to make their voices heard, confident, meaningful, kind, positive, like-changing, remembered, unique, recognised and all the other responses which the students shared on the day.

If you want to find out more about oracy and what we are doing in school, you can follow @SCDOracy on Twitter.

Nicola Spencer

Whole school oracy coordinator

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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.