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Inspire 9

Inspire 9 is a wellbeing intervention group run by Ms Whiteman. A selected group of some wonderful Year 9s attended a weekly session with the purpose of improving confidence, motivation, resilience and a growth mindset. Taken out of their comfort zone at times in a safe, nurturing environment to encourage thoughts and ideas has had a noticeable impact on these young people. Checking in with each other encouraged respect and thoughtfulness often overlooked in our busy lives.  

The group also discussed inspirational young inventors and innovators, who are just like them and around their age demonstrated to them how it is possible to succeed in any area of interest with the added ingredients of grit and determination. 

They met two inspirational 6th Formers who shared their own experience of school and their aspirations of what they want to do next. It was interesting to hear the questions put to the 6th Formers at the end of the session.    

Ms Whiteman, was delighted to say that following a survey completed with ImpactEd, it was evident that there had been a significant improvement in their overall wellbeing, growth mindset and motivation.

Mr Harris, Assistant Headteacher, praised Ms Whiteman’s work with these students and emphasised the impact she had made, noting the group had made significant strides.

This is another of the school’s intitaitves in supporting our young people, particularly following the disruption of the pandemic and it is full credit to members of staff like Ms Whiteman to going the extra mile and providing that addiitonal pastoral care and inspiration.

Ms Whiteman ran this initiative as part of her TLDW project. 

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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.