Dear Colleagues,

As we begin the summer term, I am thrilled to share the latest updates from across our trust. This month's newsletter contains news and achievements that highlight the incredible work happening in our schools. Recently, the talented Year 6 students from The Cranbourne Primary School captivated a live audience at the University of Hertfordshire's Festival of Ideas with their original poems, showcasing their creativity and confidence. St Clement Danes girls football teams ended the season at the County Cup Finals and Croxley Danes Year 12 Brilliant Club students were celebrated at a graduation event at University of Oxford to mark their completion of The Brilliant Club’s Scholars Programme. Additionally, I hope you enjoy reading about ESA's 10th anniversary celebration, congratulations to Chris Mitchell and the staff at ESA on this significant milestone.

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all teaching and support staff for your unwavering dedication and hard work in preparing our students for the exams this term.

Your commitment to their success is truly inspiring.

With best wishes,

Josephine Valentine, CEO
Danes Educational Trust

Making the difference together

Chancellor's

One of the highlights of the year was the recent whole school musical production of The Addams Family. The cast, band and staff involved delivered an amazing set of accomplished and extremely entertaining performances, which have created happy lifelong memories. The students should be congratulated on their energy, enthusiasm and precision. It was clear that the schedule of rehearsals was gruelling and required discipline and that the actors had immersed themselves in their roles; everyone was aware of their important contribution on and off stage. Art and Technology were involved in producing a fantastic set and professional looking programmes along with a variety of props including a range of instruments of torture!

The Arts are crucial to the school’s curriculum and there are extensive opportunities throughout the year including various large and small scale concerts, the Carol Service, the Battle of the Bands, numerous art and photography competitions and exhibitions along with other dramatic productions.

St Clement Danes

Huge congratulations to our U16 and U18 Girls’ football teams who both reached their respective County Cup Finals over the last month. Despite both teams playing brilliantly, creating incredible games of football to watch which were thrilling from start to finish, the U16 team lost 5-4 to Sandringham and the U18 team lost 4-3 to Beaumont. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Miss Clarke and the PE staff for a superb season of girls football, and I look forward to what the 2024-2025 season will bring. The summer season of sport is well underway, with both our Athletics and Cricket teams competing in various events and matches, with early success already achieved, in what promises to be an exciting and successful summer of sport.

ESA

ESA celebrated its 10th anniversary in May with a fundraising gala. The event brought together over 160 guests from across the film and television industry with an address from The Rt Hon. Lord Baker, who opened the school in 2013 and a keynote speech from BAFTA and Oscar award winner, Gareth Ellis-Unwin. Industry heavyweights from Sky, ITV, BBC and Elstree Studios mingled with government officials including the Mayor of Hertsmere, Councillor Butler, and a host of proud ESA alumni who have gone on to forge successful careers in film and television. The evening provided a platform to not only recognise the achievements of ESA's talented alumni but to connect with industry professionals, and raise vital funds to ensure ESA can continue providing exceptional training and opportunity for future filmmakers.

Croxley Danes

On Monday 13 May, the achievements of our Year 12 Brilliant Club students were celebrated at a graduation event at University of Oxford to mark their completion of The Brilliant Club’s Scholars Programme. The Scholars Programme gives students from non-selective sixth forms and colleges the opportunity to work with a PhD researcher to develop key academic skills and experience university-style learning, in preparation for successful applications and transitions to higher education at a competitive university.

At the graduation event, students took part in several seminar sessions and produced a 2000 word essay on the economy. Students reflected on the process, took a tour of the grounds and had the opportunity to take part in a Q&A session with a current student. It was a fantastic day finishing with the students graduating at Oxford Town Hall. We are so proud of the achievements they have made on The Scholars Programme and hope it will inspire them to aim high with regard to their university applications.

The Cranbourne

Year 6 students captivated a live audience with their original poems at the University of Hertfordshire's Festival of Ideas last week. The young poets showcased their creativity, drawing applause and admiration from festival-goers.

The Festival of Ideas was the first of its kind on-campus, celebrating innovation and creativity, providing a platform for the budding writers. Each student presented a unique poem - available to view on our Instagram page.

Parents, educators, and literary enthusiasts warmly applauded the children's work, praising the maturity and depth of their writing. The event celebrated the students' achievements and underscored the role of creative expression in education.

Seeing our children perform with such confidence and enthusiasm is inspiring - we are so proud of them!

Jupiter

Year 5 students recently enjoyed an enchanting trip to the Warner Bros Studio Tour, delving into the magic of Harry Potter. The highlight of the visit was a fascinating workshop on the intricate process of aging characters' costumes for the films.

The students were captivated by the behind-the-scenes insights, learning how the costume designers meticulously created worn and weathered looks for the beloved characters. This hands-on experience brought the magic of movie-making to life, sparking creativity and curiosity among the young fans.

Teachers and students alike were thrilled with the educational and entertaining outing, which provided a unique glimpse into the world of film production. The trip not only deepened their appreciation for the Harry Potter series but also inspired budding filmmakers and designers.

Recruitment

We have a number of interesting and exciting roles across a range of our schools within the Trust.

If you know someone who would fit any of the roles we're currently advertising, please do recommend/ refer them to us. If they are successful, as a thank you for supporting the Trust, you will receive your choice of either a £250 (net payment) payable via payroll following the start of the new employee or a donation of £250 to be made to a charity or cause of your choice (subject to approval by the relevant Headteacher/CEO for Central Services). All staff (apart from HR staff across the Trust, staff involved in the hiring process, and SLT members) are eligible for the incentive.

Click here for current opportunities