Menu
Back to News ListPreviousNext

Old Dane Griff Wins Brit Award!

A huge congratulation to Old Dane, Sarah Griffiths, a.k.a Griff, who was recently awarded the highly acclaimed Rising Star 2021 Brit award.

Griff attended St Clement Danes School, leaving in 2019 after finishing her A Levels, since then her music career has gone from strength to strength. Having signed a record deal with Warner Records, she released her stunning debut single ‘Mirror Talk’ in the summer of 2019, followed by her hugely popular single ‘Didn’t break it enough’.

A level teacher, Miss Georgiou, fondly remembers Griff and has shared the following reflections and memories on teaching her,

“As an A level Fashion and Textiles student, Sarah was a designer of exceptional ability. A creative student who particularly excelled in garment construction and conceptional ideas. With a clear understanding of fashion trends, Sarah was always able to respond maturely to a design brief. Sarah had a keen interest in fashion; she was an experimental student and was known for her innovative pattern cutting skills. She even made and designed her Year 13 prom dress without the use of pattern pieces!

Fans of Sarah’s music will recall how she often makes her own outfits for her performances. Documenting herself via social media making the garments and asking for fans input. 

Sarah always showed determination and shared her love of music at Sixth form and I wish her every success with her career in the music industry; I know she has a bright future ahead of her and wish her the very best.”

The Rising Star award is given to future stars of British music, with previous winners having included Adele, Ellie Goulding, Celeste, Sam Smith, and Florence and the Machine. In previous interviews, the talented singer, songwriter, producer has commented on how Taylor Swift proved to be a huge influence on her music, whilst learning the ropes of music production by sneaking onto her brother’s laptop.

Griff has proved to be an inspiration for our students, especially those who are keen to pursue a career within the Performing Arts and Music. We hope one day to be able to invite Griff back to her old school to share her experiences and astounding journey so far.

We wish Griff all the very best and look forward to hearing more of her music successes in the future!

The Brit Awards ceremony is taking place on the 11th May.

Image taken from NME Radar Breakout Griff: British pop phenomenon taking control of their destiny 3rd June 2020
Back to News ListPreviousNext

Categories

Category / All Articles

Archives

Also Featured

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.