As we approach the half-term break, I would like to begin, on behalf of both students and parents, by expressing our sincere thanks to the teaching staff for their dedication and hard work in preparing students for the external examinations, which are now well underway. Our Year 11 and Year 13 students have shown great maturity in their approach to revision and learning, and they have truly valued the additional support and revision sessions offered by their teachers. We continue to wish them the very best as they progress through the exam season and look ahead to its conclusion. We are immensely proud of all they have accomplished and the young people they have become. We look forward to seeing the impact they will make in Sixth Form and in the wider world beyond St Clement Danes.

At the start of May, we marked Screen-Free Week, a time to “take a break from entertainment screens and experience more peace, connection, and fun” During assemblies, Mr Barrett spoke about the benefits of reducing screen time, encouraging students to take part in the challenge and reflect on their own screen habits. He shared practical strategies to support mental wellbeing, such as setting personal limits, scheduling phone-free time, or making it a shared effort by encouraging friends to cut back together. The aim was to create positive, screen-free experiences that build confidence, deepen relationships, and support mental health.

It was inspiring to see so many students embrace the challenge and even more rewarding to read their thoughtful reflections at the end of the week. You can view some of these reflections on our school’s Instagram page. As we head into half term, let’s carry that momentum forward: take time to disconnect from screens, move more, and reconnect with books, nature, and one another.

Mental Health Awareness week took place between the 12th and 18th May; this year’s theme, Community, focused on how connection and belonging can support mental health and wellbeing. During assemblies, Mrs Beavis shared how being part of a community can have powerful benefits for our mental health and overall wellbeing as it can help make life feel more meaningful and enjoyable, help us feel happier and safer, and even provide protection from the emotional harm of discrimination. The assembly also reminded us of the vast array of opportunities available to students at SCD - from extracurricular activities, concerts, trips, school events such as Commemoration Day and even our school song ‘The Anchor’ - that help create a sense of belonging and being part of the SCD community.  

This term a small group of Year 9 students have been participating in the Scholars Programme; the programme is designed to support students to develop skills and knowledge to make ambitious and successful applications to universities, should that be what they decide they want to do, alongside developing great academic skills to support their school work day to day. Students participating in the Scholars Programme work with a PhD researcher on a university style module, based on the researcher’s world-leading expertise. The topic for this year is ‘Do we really learn with our brains? Exploring embodied cognition’; throughout the tutorials, students have been introduced to some of the latest developments in learning theory that are important for education in a changing world, developing their understanding of embodied cognition which recognises that our bodies, senses and emotions all play an important role in learning. Having completed all the tutorials, the students are now researching and planning for their final assignment - a 2000 word essay on ‘Critically compare Embodied Cognition and Standard Cognitive Science. How might this affect education?’. The programme culminates in a Graduation Event which this year is being held at Magdalene College, University of Cambridge. I look forward to hearing from the students about their experience of the Scholars Programme, what they have learned and how it has benefited them.   

As you’ll see from the stories below, this month has been full of highlights, with a diverse range of events and activities taking place both in and out of school. It’s been a busy and enriching start to the summer term, and I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to all the staff who work so hard to organise these valuable additions to our curriculum. Wishing all our students, staff, and families a restful and enjoyable half term break.