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Junior Speech Day 2018

Danes Student Journalist, Lucy Douglas 8T, reports ...

On 21st September, the annual speech day ceremony took place, celebrating the achievements of many students here at St Clement Danes. It was a fantastic opportunity to come together, and recognise all the hard work that happens throughout the year. 

The junior event took place in the morning. Hundreds of students, staff and teachers gathered to receive or witness many prizes being given out. To begin with, our wonderful orchestra played “The Anchor is our Emblem” while the teachers processed into the hall. We were welcomed by Mr Brasier, the Chair of Governors, who then introduced our headteacher. In Mr Sutherland’s speech he talked about the outstanding GSCE results the students worked hard to obtain, and the Duke of Edinburgh participants' adventures. He also took the opportunity to thank Dr Valentine for all the amazing work she has done at St Clement Danes. We were then lucky enough to listen to “Beethoven Symphony in A major", performed beautifully by our own First Orchestra conducted by Ms Stephens.  

The prize giving included a variety of awards - form girl and boy, drama and public speaking interform awards, sporting trophies and special awards in art, science, history and many more. Most winners received a generous £10 book voucher and a trophy to keep over the weekend. I really enjoyed congratulating friends on their achievement and as a recipient of an award I can say I felt a real sense of pride in my school.  

The prizes were given by our guest speaker, Owen Visser, an old Dane and a previous head boy in 2003-4, who gave a hysterical speech about his time at St Clement Danes. He began by telling us about his first day which included an awkward run in with a sixth former, and then went on to tell us about his passion for musical theatre. He talked a lot about how his experience at St Clement Danes prepares you for life after school and had everyone laughing. After a wonderful vote of thanks from our head boy and girl, Maxwell Duncan and Florence McGrath it was time for a break before the senior event in the afternoon. 

To continue Dr Valentine’s tradition, Mr Sutherland assured us that St Clement Danes probably does speech day better than any other school in the world, and I look forward to next year's event. 

 

 

 

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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.