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Students Embrace Creativity at Design Museum: A Recap of Year 10 and 12 Trip

 

 

On 1st October, and for the third consecutive year, our Year 10 and 12 students visited the Design Museum. The experience once again proved to be highly engaging and inspiring. 

The visit plays a crucial role in preparing Year 10 students for the Design Ventura competition, a national design challenge that tasks students with creating a product for the Design Museum Shop. Seeing the museum in person helps students better understand their audience and the types of products they might improve or redesign.

The day was structured in three key parts. It began with a design workshop, curated by the museum to align with the Ventura competition. Students were assigned a quick design challenge, where they created prototypes and pitched their ideas to the class. Among the standout designs were the 'detachable toothbrush' and the 'tea bag squeezer', both of which sparked lively discussion and creativity.

After lunch, students split into two groups: one group explored the museum shop for a market analysis, while the other visited the free exhibitions. These included a rotating display on Enzo Mari, a renowned furniture designer and modern artist, as well as the Design Maker User space on the top floor, showcasing iconic designs through the years.

With each trip, students walk away with new insights, fresh ideas, and inspiration. For both first-timers and returning students, the Design Museum visit continues to be a highlight of the academic year.

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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.