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The Scholars Programme

 
This term 14 of our Year 9 students have been taking part in The Scholars Programme, run by The Brilliant Club. This is a programme designed to support students to develop skills and knowledge to make ambitious and successful applications to universities, should that be what they decide they want to do. At the same time, students develop great academic skills, such as developing their written and verbal communication, critical thinking and metacognition, to support their schoolwork day to day.

This year, the students participating in The Scholars Programme are working with a PhD researcher from Brunel University whose field of research is on microbiology with a particular focus on plastic eating bacteria! So far, students have attended the launch event which was held at Reading University, where students participated in a workshop, had a tour of the campus, and an opportunity to have a Q&A with some of the student ambassadors from Reading University. They have attended a series of tutorials which have provided them with the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to complete their final assignment on 'Could bacteria and their enzymes be a viable option to tackle the plastic waste problem?' 
 
The programme concludes with a Graduation Event in July which is being held at Oxford University where they will attend a formal ceremony to recognise their work on the programme.
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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.