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DofE June Expeditions

May and June have been extremely busy months for students involved in the Duke of Edinburgh Award schemes. Year 9 students have had their Qualifying expeditions (split over two trips due to the vast numbers) and half of Year 10 have had their practice silver expedition, which due to covid, counted as their qualifying for Bronze.

294 students in total have completed a Bronze expedition which is great news. They have all had a mixture of sunshine and showers. The last expedition saw 90 Year 9’s out in the extreme heat. The staff ensured their safety by reducing loads, having plenty of water and taking breaks often.

The students are now ensuring that all their Volunteering, Physical and Skill sections are complete. They will all be presented with their awards in a celebration event to be confirmed a little later in the year.

Year 10 Silver Cotswolds and Year 12 Gold Lake District expeditions will be completed in July.

Many thanks to all the staff and parent volunteers who dedicate their time and effort in running a successful expedition, their time and expertise is immensely valuable. If you are interested in getting involved on a regular basis whether that be on expeditions check pointing, training up the groups with navigation or just helping at kit check ins after school please do contact Mrs Kirby, DofE Manager, to offer her your support at dofe@stclementdanes.herts.sch.uk .

If you have expedition kit that you no longer need and wish to donate it to the school for use in future expeditions please can you send it in with your child to M7. Any items that cannot be used will be donated to suitable charities.

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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.