I would like to extend a warm welcome to those reading Headlines for the first time, especially to families whose children have recently joined us in Year 7 or Sixth Form. It has been wonderful to see our new students settling in so well, attending lessons with enthusiasm and actively participating in the wide range of activities we offer. We are truly impressed with the positive attitude they have shown and the excellent start they have made to their journeys at St Clement Danes.

As we look to build on that positive first 4 weeks and embrace all the opportunities the school has to offer, please can you encourage your children to actively seek out the extra-curricular opportunities that provide other avenues for them to develop themselves and their character and confidence.  This year we have identified 3 key priority areas for school development; 

1. Our curriculum offer and specifically the development  of subject specific writing skills, further work on equality, diversity and inclusion in our curriculum and enhancing our use of Google technology for teaching and learning.

2. Our learning culture and the responsibility of all our young people to understand the part they play in their own learning and that of others.

3. Character education and how we can ensure that every young person benefits from the huge array of opportunities available to them to develop their skills of collaboration, communication, curiosity, community action, being active and ultimately their confidence.

We work in partnership with you to help explain and reinforce, where appropriate, these priorities as we seek to continue to improve the experience for students now and in the future at St Clement Danes.

When talking to a young person recently about why we ask them to tuck their shirts in, I explained that it is the little things that matter and all the little things add up and if you let the little things not matter then the really  important things start to matter less as well.  Please continue to impress upon your children the importance of every little thing that adds up to the really important things; uniform, equipment, attendance, punctuality, politeness, respect for others and their property and the facilities provided to them.  Please remind your children that mobile phones must be switched off at all times during the school day.  If they are seen at any point during the school day they will be confiscated and returned after 24 hours.  These may seem trivial at times but they really do matter and they all add up to the amazing achievements and progress of the school community over time.

As we settle into the rhythm of the school year, please can you ensure this same message and expectations are reinforced at home.

As always, the beginning of the academic year has been a busy and exciting time for our school. We started the year with our annual Speech Day, held on the 13th September, where we had the pleasure of welcoming Rob Carpenter, CEO of Inspire Partnership, as our guest speaker. In his inspiring Speech Day address, Rob Carpenter encouraged students to embrace their unique strengths and perspectives, likening their abilities to "superpowers." He reminded them, “You have a superpower in your ability to see, hear, feel the world in technicolour, so use this superpower wisely.” Emphasising the importance of the learning journey, he highlighted that learning is often "messy and complex" but is meant to be a collaborative process, where students grow and learn together.

He further uplifted the students, affirming their resilience, creativity, and determination: "You are resilient, stubborn, proud, creative and most importantly, you are successful. You are somebody. You are noticed. You are part of this important community.” His words left students feeling empowered and proud to be part of the St Clement Danes community.

Speech Day also provided us with a moment to reflect on the incredible academic success our students achieved over the summer. We are proud to share that once again, our students performed exceptionally well in their GCSEs. On average, every student at St Clement Danes achieved 0.7 of a grade higher in every subject than their peers who started from the same point at the end of Key Stage 2 nationally. Special congratulations go to Emily McKillop, Emily Nash and Stanley Viner whose achievements of all Grade 8s and 9s was truly remarkable, and a just reward for their hard work, dedication and resilience throughout their GCSE courses.

Our A Level students also excelled, with 76% of all grades awarded at A* to B, with 2 students - Lola Beevers and Vyom Desai - achieving 4 A*s. This outstanding achievement has enabled many of our students to secure their first-choice universities or apprenticeship placements, and we couldn’t be prouder of their hard work and determination. 

In addition to these academic successes, the summer provided a wealth of opportunities for our students to shine in other areas. A special thank you goes to our PE staff for organising the visit of a US football team from Maine and running the popular Sports Camp for our incoming Year 7 students. Mr Biswell and Mr Sorrell also deserve recognition for organising the Food Summer School, and Mrs Ingleby and Miss Smart  for their leadership in the Performing Arts Summer Camp.

We also extend our gratitude to Mrs Kirby for arranging the Duke of Edinburgh Gold expedition to Norway. Our students demonstrated resilience and teamwork during this challenging adventure, and you can read more about their experience in the news article below.

As we move forward into the term, we are excited to continue this momentum. I’d like to take this opportunity to draw your attention to a series of webinars which are taking place across this term on a variety of topics providing key information and support on issues pertinent to young people and families today: Supporting and understanding general anxiety in teens (30.09.24 6.30 to 8.00pm); Supporting students with exam revision (16.10.24 6.30 to 8.00pm); The 7 habits of highly effective families (06.11.24 6.30 to 8.00pm); Drug and Alcohol awareness workshop (19.11.24 6.30 to 8.00pm). Further information on each of these will be provided in due course.

As I spoke about in my address on Speech Day - and is evident through the snapshot provided in this Headlines - the idea of service to others by students, staff, parents and volunteers has been at the heart of everything good at St Clement Danes over this last year. I am excited by what the forthcoming year has to hold as we build upon our achievements, and would like to take the opportunity to again thank the St Clement Danes community for believing, as Nelson Mandela said, “the impossible is only impossible until we make it possible”.