As we come to the end of the academic year, we bid farewell to several cherished members of staff. I would like to extend my thanks and best wishes to Mrs Hayter, Mrs Beasley, Miss Madden, Mrs McLetchie-George, Dr Sephton, Mrs Cooper and Miss Fennessy. Their dedication and contributions have been truly invaluable, and they will be greatly missed by students and colleagues alike.

Mrs Hayter is retiring after an incredible 26 years of service to the school; we are deeply grateful for her unwavering commitment over the years. Mrs McLetchie-George is also retiring after 12 years of dedicated service and Mrs Beasley leaves us after 8 years with the school. Dr Sephton has been an incredible addition to the Chemistry team and is returning to academia.  Miss Madden has inspired countless LAMDA students over the last few years and Mrs Cooper has done wonders with Sixth Form independent study and Mission EmployAble.  While we say goodbye for now to Miss Fennessy as she embarks on a year of travelling the world, we are delighted that she will be rejoining us in September 2026. We are sincerely thankful to all of them for the lasting impact they have made and we wish each of them every success and happiness in the future.

We recently enjoyed our annual Sports Day, led by Mr Birkett and the PE faculty. I am always immensely proud of the dedication and effort pupils put into their events. Their attitude, both on and off the track, is exemplary. I was particularly delighted with our Year 12s, who enjoyed their final Sports Day, and our Year 10 pentathletes, who concluded the day with a brilliant 800m race. 

One of the many standout events this term was Culture Day held at the end of June. Many pupils chose to dress in their traditional attire, showcasing the rich diversity within our school community. This event provided an invaluable opportunity for pupils to share and learn about different cultures, fostering a spirit of inclusivity and understanding. It was heart-warming to witness the enthusiasm and pride with which pupils presented their heritage.

The past few weeks have been filled with a wide range of career-focused workshops and experiences for pupils. The Year 7 pupils took part in Careers Enterprise Day, where they had the opportunity to hear from a diverse group of professionals, including representatives from NHS England, JustEat, Herts Police and many others. The event offered valuable exposure to a variety of career paths, helping to inspire and inform younger pupils as they begin thinking about their futures. In addition, some of our Year 10 pupils have recently completed their work experience placements, proudly representing the school in the wider community.

The Danes Educational Trust Medics Day provided Sixth Form pupils the opportunity to benefit from a series of workshops, whilst all of the Year 12 pupils participated in Brand You day, with the talks and workshops being led by St Clement Danes Alumni. It is always a pleasure to have past pupils return to share experiences and expertise that they have learnt since leaving school. A big thank you to Mrs Garwood-Evans for her hard work in organising the various Career workshops over the past few weeks. 

Amongst all of the above, pupils have enjoyed numerous trips this term including visits to Whipsnade and watersport activities at the Aquadrome for Year 8. Our Year 9s enjoyed their Scholars Programme Graduation Event,  Mrs Kirby is currently on a trip to Norway with Duke of Edinburgh Gold pupils and Mr Farmer, supported by a number of staff, is with Year 7 pupils on their annual trip to Bude.  Finally, we wish all pupils taking part in the USA football exchange the very best of luck. We are especially delighted to share that, for the first time in St Clement Danes’ history, the girls’ team have also joined the exchange trip.

In the last assembly of the year I shared my usual warning about the dangers of the water to young people, and in particular the RNLI Float to Live campaign.  It also gave me an opportunity to say thank you to the pupils and staff for their immense contribution to the school this year.  I introduced the pupils to the story of Senator Barbara Mikulski who said “Each one of us can make a difference.  Together we make change.”  I asked pupils to reflect on the last academic year and consider in the context of SCD’s character values of compassion, communication, curiosity, creativity and courage what they will do differently or better, now and next year, that will make the difference to someone else. As Mother Theresa is quoted as saying “Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.”  

Finally, please refer to the letter that was recently sent home regarding the school’s uniform policy for important information and updates. 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our school community for another successful and productive year and for your continued support. I hope you have a restful summer break with your friends and families, and that your children come back refreshed for the new term.

MR T SUTHERLAND

Headteacher

 Thank you.