Twitter @tcdskent

15/10/25

CDS uses Sparx Maths for maths homework setting and from their online learning platform we receive statistics, each week, on how our pupils are progressing and whether extra support is needed.  We will publish our overview of Sparx Maths each week for your information.

15/10/25

KS4 Life Skills Cooking Club upped their skills in piping to make some beautiful, sweet and crumbly, vanilla flavoured Viennese biscuits. Perfect with a cuppa after a long day! Great piping skills, they look very professional!

14/10/25

Pupils headed to the Detling showground for a fantastic event all about mental health and wellbeing. The ‘Big Mental Health Conversation’ event was packed with inspiring workshops and tips on how to look after your own mental health.    

13/10/25

We are so proud to announce that we have received the Kent School Award for Resilience and Emotional Wellbeing this year.  The award celebrates our whole-school approach to creating a positive and caring environment where every pupil feels valued and supported.

10/10/25

The Emotional Wellbeing Team are running a free online session for parents wishing to understand more about autism. This takes place on 2 December at 5:30-7:30pm. If you are interested in signing up, please do so via this link:  events.teams.microsoft.com/e…

10/10/25

The Emotional Wellbeing Team are running a free online session for parents to help better understand the changes that happen in the adolescent brain. This takes place on 16 November at 6pm. If you are interested in signing up, please do so via this link:  events.teams.microsoft.com/e…

10/10/25

Image

09/10/25

We’re proud to announce that we’ve been awarded the Equalities Silver Award! This recognition reflects ongoing commitment to creating an inclusive, respectful, and equitable environment for everyone.      

07/10/25

Pupils attended the Crime and Punishment workshop at the Tower of London where they learnt about the lives of prisoners and the concept of crime and punishment in the Tower’s history.  This was part of their own study of history, on the topic of Elizabethan England.

07/10/25

We are extremely proud of our Eco-Schools Team who have  completed the Eco-Schools seven step framework to receive Green Flag status, forming their Eco-Committee and conducting an environmental review of the school. They now have an action plan and are monitoring projects.

02/10/25

Year 11 pupils joined The Broadstairs Youth Forum, a Broadstairs & St. Peter's Town Council initiative where young people from local schools meet to discuss local issues, share their ideas for improving the area, and work on collaborative projects that benefit the community.

02/10/25

This week’s KS4 Life Skills Cooking Club went tropical making a delicious mango salsa, learning how to remove the mango stone and cut the fruit ‘hedgehog’ style before  creating the base for their salsa. It was a lesson in precision cutting – well done to all!

01/10/25

Do you have a child starting in September 2026? Come along to our Open Evenings and Mornings; please book for the Headteacher talks via our website:https://t.co/ITjphmVzH1 pic.twitter.com/y7ffSYeeeV

30/09/25

Image

26/09/25

Image

26/09/25

Image

25/09/25

Image

25/09/25

KS4 Cooking Life Skills Club focused on making homemade chicken tenders, a healthier alternative to takeaway food! Great work everyone, and for many pupils a delicious snack on the way home from school!  

22/09/25

The photos here are pupils that were successful in being chosen to trial for the Chelsea FC Pathway.  They represented the school amazingly and played really well.  Each of them made it through to the next stage and have now been asked to join the pathway programme.

19/09/25

Some of our budding football stars were given the opportunity to work with Chelsea Football Club, in school, to pre-trial in sessions for the Chelsea FC Pathway.  10 pupils have been invited to join the trial for this Pathway this evening.  Good luck to them all !!

19/09/25

Due to a sports fixture we are having to cancel Girls Football Club on Tuesday 23 September.  Apologies for any inconvenience.

19/09/25

Back by popular demand! This week at KS4 Life Cooking Skills Club we made chocolate brownies! Gooey, and warm, and a great way to welcome the changing season with comforting home cooked food. Don’t they look delicious!  

16/09/25

Street Cricket is back at CDS!  Sessions run by Kent County Crick will start again on Tuesday 23 September and will run each Tuesday between 5.30pm and 6.30pm, at CDS.  AND IT'S ALL FREE!!

12/09/25

Kooth are running a webinar on Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA) on 23d October 2025. If you are interested in joining this free online session, please use this link to sign up:  connect.kooth.com/events/eve…

11/09/25

Image

Menu
Back to News ListPreviousNext

National Citizen Service Programme for Students

Posted on: 09/11/2018

This summer 22 students from The Charles Dickens School signed up to take part in the NCS programme and made a difference in the local community. They were involved in a range of activities that enabled them to grow in confidence and develop life skills including leadership, teamwork, communication and tolerance.

The students were involved in the following activities:

Phase 1: PGL Bawdsey Manor Puzzle Park, Sensory Trail, Blind Fold Games, Team Activities, Hike which includes Geo Caching and bushcraft. Capture the Flag with water balloons with a Colour Run with obstacle course, Water Day Activities, Survival Skills, Inflatable Course, Live music /camp fire, Buggy build, Jacobs Ladder, Archery, Climbing, Abseiling, Trapeze, Giant Swing.

Phase 2: Experience living independently University of Kent -  Cooking on a budget during the Great NCS Bake Off Presentation skills workshops, CV building workshops, independent living workshops.      

Phase 3: Activities include a Local Community Scavenger Hunt to meet local organisations and charities to be focus of the social action project; plan and deliver a social action project.

NCS offers schools the opportunity to become an NCS Champion School which is dependent on the number of students taking part in the programme. The Champion School framework is an accreditation from NCS Trust that acknowledges the commitment to engage by schools. There are 3 levels; Bronze, Silver and Gold, each awarded according to the percentage of students who signed up to the programme over the academic year. The table below shows what is required for each level.

 

Bronze Award

Silver Award

Gold Award

School (Autumn & Summer- academic year cohort total)

Bronze – 20% of eligible cohort

Silver – 25% of eligible cohort

Gold – 30% of eligible cohort

College (Autumn & Summer academic year cohort total)

Bronze – 20% of eligible cohort

Silver – 25% of eligible cohort

Gold – 30% of eligible cohort

Based on the number of students who took part this year the School needs to encourage 23 more students to sign up to achieve Bronze Champion School Status!

Thanks go to Mr Lee for supporting the NCS recruitment team to engage with students and parents.

The School is proud of the work students have done this year.  Any students interested in taking part in this scheme should speak with Mr Lee at the School.

For more information go to https://www.ncsyes.co.uk/

 

 

Written by Charles Dickens School
Back to News ListPreviousNext