Success for 麻豆视频 students at English Speaking Union Competition

Congratulations to Year 11 students who gave a great performance on Tuesday 29th January, when St Clement Danes School hosted the branch heats of the English Speaking Union Competition. Our students spoke with great eloquence and the judges awarded our teams 1st and 2nd place in the competition. The standard of the event was extremely high, and our students should be proud of their achievement.

Each team consists of three students - a Chairperson, a Questioner and a Speaker. Each role demands different but complementary skills.

The winning team was Milo (Chairperson), Alexander (Speaker ) and Louis, the questioner. Their subject was 'Is crowd funding the way forward for our business community?'

Runners up were Samantha (Chairperson), Darcy (Speaker) and Francesca (Questioner). Their subject was 'Children would be more creative if they didn't have to go to school.'

The speaker talks on a pre-agreed topic for a maximum of five minutes. During that time they must articulate their argument and demonstrate a wide knowledge of their subject. The questioner then takes over, challenging the speaker on points within their speech or seeking clarification or further details. The chairperson's role is to open and close proceedings, introduce their team, manage questions from both the questioner and the audience, and keep things running to time.

During each round of the competition, the Chairperson and Questioner from one school were randomly selected to present with the Speaker from another school.

Thanks to Year 13 student Maxwell Duncan, who along with English teachers, Ms Heatley and Mrs McLetchie-George, assisted the students in preparing for the competition.

The next round of the competition is the East Regional Final, which will be held on Saturday 16^th March 2019 at Magdalene College, Cambridge. We wish our students continued success at the next round of the competition. Well done!

To find out more information about the English Speaking Union Competition please follow the links below;

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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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