Remembrance 2017

On a beautiful morning at St Clement Danes, we welcomed a number of Old Danes, Trustees and Governors to the school to join us for our annual Remembrance Service.

In the KS4 and 5 service, our guests were treated to a moving a cappella rendition of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah before Mr Sutherland gave his first such address at the school. He began by making an announcement that, because of serious issues uncovered during building work, the entire school was going to have to move to temporary accommodation on the Baldwins Lane site in Croxley Green from next September. As shocked students and staff listened, he then went on to describe the probable feelings of students at St Clement Danes back in 1939 when they, too, learnt that they were imminently moving – on this occasion to Oxford because of the war. Having reassured the audience of his deliberate falsehood, he then went on to describe the experiences of St Clement Danes students and staff through the war before linking this year’s message of Rethink Remembrance to the work of the British Forces in supporting the world’s current 64 million refugees. After this, prayers and the Ode of Remembrance, read by Rev Lovegrove, preceded a 2 minutes' silence at 11am.

In the student-led junior service, girls from Key Stage 3 delivered a thoughtful presentation about the role of women in war before guest speakers, Band Colour Sergeant Sarah Hope and A B Kristie Murphy, both from Northwood, spoke about their time serving in the British forces. After 2 minutes' silence, the audience watched a video of the song “Flesh and Blood” which was written and performed by injured service men and women at the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games in 2016.

At the end of both services, the Last Post was expertly played by Theo Edwards - a moving musical tribute to remember those who died in service.

After the senior service, guests and staff watched as the Head Girl and Boy laid wreaths in the central courtyard before enjoying refreshments and perusing the displays put on in the library by our archivist, Mrs Hirst.

As ever, it was a moving and memorable day; we would like to thank all our guests for coming and congratulate all those involved in putting on the two excellent services.

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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.

30th January

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