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Speech Day 2019

On Friday 13th September the school celebrated the successes of its student body at our annual Speech Day.

With the junior event taking place in the morning and the senior event after lunch, hundreds of gathered students, parents and guests were able to enjoy the speeches and musical items and celebrate the students’ success. The event commenced with Chair of Governors, Mr Martin Day, welcoming the guests.  Both events were accompanied by superb performances by the First Orchestra and excellent speeches by the Head Boy and Girl, Jack McGee and Yasmin Homer.  Mr Sutherland addressed the audience and paid tribute to those receiving prizes. The school was honoured to have the company of our two guest speakers. The Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, Robert Voss, CBE, addressed the audience and presented the prizes at Junior Speech Day, and Old Dane, Clinical Psychologist Vaan Livermore-Hardy spoke and presented the prizes at Senior Speech Day.

As the day came to a close, the winner of the prestigious Poppleton Prize for service to the school was announced- this year to Charlotte Hales.  The day came to a close with the First Orchestra’s second rendition of the National Anthem.

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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.