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Year 7 and 8 Interform Speaking Competition

Earlier this month Year 7 and Year 8 students participated in an Interform Speaking Competition.

The students took the competition very seriously, although lots of fun was had too! Students competed against each other, then the winning group for each form entered the semi-finals before the final took place, with primary judge appointed as Headteacher, Mr Sutherland.

Year 7 were debating ‘cake’ and the winning team discussed cakes through the ages; while Year 8 debated ‘metal’ and the winning group discussed metals in medicine.

The English teachers had taught the students key debating and presenting skills, but the teams had to work together too, to ensure they researched and wrote some powerful speeches using a range of rhetorical techniques. Students were scored in three areas:

a) Cohesion and Structure (roles)

b) Quality of Ideas and Argument (research and writing)

c) Audience Engagement (delivery)

It was a very close final, and we were incredibly impressed with the level of presentation and delivery, as well as the close attention to detail. Congratulations to all involved!

The winners of the Interform Speaking Competition are listed below with 7 Burleigh emerging as the winners in Year 7.

The Year 7 students are as follows:

Rowan How - Chairperson

Matilda Harrison-Maggs - Main Speaker

Nathan Wright - Vote of Thanks

Lars Moran - Research Editor

William James - Chief Speech Writer

The winners in Year 8 were 8 Essex:

Ben Westcott - CP

Mirren Renganathan - MS

Reuben Wolf - VOT

Jai Dhaliwal - Research Editor

Tom Potts; Jonny May - Chief Speech Writer

 

 

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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.