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Holocaust Survivor shares his story with Year 9 students

On Monday 12th November, sixty Year 9 students were privileged in having the opportunity to listen to the story of Mr Alf Keiles, a Holocaust survivor, when he visited St Clement Danes School.

Miss Sacks, Subject Leader of Religious Studies said, ‘Alf had an amazing story. He told the students of an occasion when he shook hands with Hitler during his campaign to get into power.  Alf spoke of his persecution as a Jew. He told the students that by the age of 8 he had been assaulted many times and even stabbed twice, resulting in life long scars, due to the fact he was identified as a Jew.

When Alf was nine he travelled to Genoa with his twelve year old sister to try and take refuge in South Africa. They waited for the boat for four days, but then they received the news that South Africa was no longer taking Jewish children. Alf and his sister then travelled to Southampton, and, after waiting four days, discovered that one boat load of children was going to be allowed to enter South Africa. Therefore, Alf and his sister returned to Genoa, and were successfully evacuated to South Africa, where they subsequently settled.'

Miss Sacks added that Alf is a fascinating character, and the students were captivated by his story. Alf also has a passion for music, and is well known within the world of jazz.

Thank you to Mr Keiles for sharing his story with our students. It was a privilege for our students and staff to meet him. We are also grateful to Alf’s son, Glen, for helping to arrange the visit. Alf’s granddaughter attends St Clement Danes School and the three family members are shown in the photographs of Mr Keiles’ visit.

 

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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.