Twitter @tcdskent

14/02/25

Always ready to celebrate a day in the calendar, our ladies at Independent Catering, again, pulled out all the stops! Look at these wonderful cakes and biscuits, all made and iced with love for a special day – Happy Valentines everyone and have a great half term break! pic.twitter.com/udqs44vby4

14/02/25

Some lucky pupils across Years 8 to 10 had the pleasure of attending a performance of ‘Matilda’ at the Cambridge Theatre, in London. Pupils were far from “Revolting Children”, and were ecstatic in their praise for the production.#cdsdrama pic.twitter.com/TNLRfQflrf

13/02/25

For the final week of this term’s KS4 Cooking Club, pupils literally smashed it! Each made their own version of a smash burger, where the ground beef is smashed down in the pan as it cooks at a high heat to create a charred finish which is both tender and flavoursome.#cdsfood pic.twitter.com/9WZFBnXDi1

03/02/25

This week is Children’s Mental Health Week, organised by Place2Be. The theme is “Know yourself, grow yourself” and this week, we will be discussing ways that pupils can look after their wellbeing develop their understanding of their own personal journey through Character. pic.twitter.com/WWWPaBt7Aw

31/01/25

Say “hello” to our phone holder, wooden robots proudly created by our Year 7 and 8 pupils who are just coming to the end of their 3 term rotation in Design Technology. Aren’t they quirky! Very colourful, and you would never forget where you put your phone!#cdsDT pic.twitter.com/nWAYaUF77L

31/01/25

CDS has achieved the Association of Character Education quality mark, one of few schools in the country who have achieved this . The quality mark provides recognition for transformative character education which is delivered in an explicit, planned and reflective way. pic.twitter.com/bklt0tLuOa

30/01/25

Y10 pupils attended the second Broadstairs Youth Forum having the opportunity to talk with Cllr Joanne Bright and the Mayor of Broadstairs & St. Peter’s. Their contributions were insightful and mature, showing real engagement in community issues. pic.twitter.com/p8Fc1Zs0Uo

29/01/25

Kooth Talks are running a free parent/carer webinar about the role of Kooth and Qwell in the care for young people with an eating difficulty, Tuesday 25 February and Thursday 27 February at 6pm. Please use this link if you would like to sign up.https://t.co/llyz9bR3sl pic.twitter.com/KFrD91IrLb

29/01/25

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28/01/25

“Cooking for life” KS4 Hospitality Club focused on making loaded potato skins, a great way to use up whatever you have in the fridge and the cupboards to create a delicious and nutritious meal. They tasted amazing! We think you’ll agree they look very tempting.#cdshospitality pic.twitter.com/5cfQJK8hJM

27/01/25

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21/01/25

KS4 Hospitality Club made a chilli-con carne from scratch, folded a wrap parcel and then dry fried it, in a pan, garnished with coriander. A great quick dish for dinner or lunch! Y11 intervention was focused on the high level skills required to make homemade mayonnaise. pic.twitter.com/0o1RNJnwth

20/01/25

A Year 9 CDS pupil attends the “Rays of Sunshine” choir via video call every fortnight. The group recently embarked on a project where a few members of the choir each wrote a verse to create an uplifting song. The video and song are available here:https://t.co/OKA82Zvtgo

20/01/25

Art pupils in Year 7 were asked to research and respond to a range of artists, using a variety of media. They really enjoyed making their personal responses and developing their skills. Well done Year 7 !#cdsvisualarts pic.twitter.com/E8oWa90SNM

17/01/25

Pupils were lucky to be invited to spend the afternoon with the high-risk photographer James Brabazon, a British documentary filmmaker, journalist and author. He took pupils through his journey, recounting events he had experienced while committing to his career. pic.twitter.com/zyXvVNMk3G

15/01/25

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14/01/25

CDS pupils are welcome to join us in Breakfast Club to celebrate National Bagel Day (15 January). Pick up a toasted bagel with a choice of topping for FREE in the canteen from 8:00am to 8:25am. Breakfast Club runs each school morning from 8:00am to 8:25am.#cdsbreakfastclub pic.twitter.com/XsRUYW6WJX

20/12/24

Kooth is still available over the Christmas break for any pupil that may be struggling with their wellbeing. Please see the video for more information. Winter 2024 Education short .mp4 - Google Drive#cdswellbeing pic.twitter.com/aO3wS1G5H3

19/12/24

Thank you to everyone who took part in our “reverse advent” and Christmas foodbank collection this year, for Green Kitchen in Clilftonville. Your contributions will make a huge difference to some families who maybe struggling this year.#cdschristmas pic.twitter.com/SEtXs1af8A

18/12/24

Awards Evening is a chance for the School to celebrate the achievements of its pupils. Thanks go to our special guests, staff who organised and supported this evening, pupils who attended and parents/carers who continually support the progress of their children. pic.twitter.com/EPj1dtOHAq

18/12/24

Y7 music pupils have been learning how to play the djembe drums! They have learnt techniques such as call and response, as well as performing polyrhythms and produced their own notation on a score, then teaching it to their group. Excellent teamwork!#cdsmusic pic.twitter.com/HATUN5RUeB

17/12/24

PRESS RELEASE The Charles Dickens School is the highest performing non-selective school in East Kent for the second consecutive year. pic.twitter.com/8w9OkSAs7D

17/12/24

Congratulations to our CDS Christmas card competition winner, Violet! The design that Violet created has been turned into the School’s Christmas card this year. Well done!#cdschristmas pic.twitter.com/rnm1kVA3Al

17/12/24

The School is incredibly grateful to CT10 Charities for their generous donation towards our CARE boxes. It has allowed us to fully restock all of our boxes for pupils in need of any hygiene products. Thank you!#cdsCARE pic.twitter.com/eMB4SDcEqe

16/12/24

Y11 high skills, hospitality pupils made puff pastry from scratch turning it into these amazingly festive mince pies! Fabulous layering for a light and airy puff pastry treat. A new skill learned in time for the festive season! Well done everyone!#cdshospitality pic.twitter.com/WJfhG4csbB

Introduction

Individual Care and Support

Our pupils are placed in a tutor group with a Form Tutor who will get to know your child and be a familiar point of contact when needed. Heads of Year have the accountability for the overall pastoral care and achievement of their year group and play an important role in ensuring each pupil achieves academically since they monitor attendance, punctuality, behaviour and ensure intervention strategies are in place when appropriate and necessary.

Learning Mentors work alongside Heads of Year and are assigned to each year group to ensure that specific targeted intervention supports students who may be struggling academically and/or pastorally.

Safe and Friendly Community

Our pupils relate well to one another and are courteous and helpful to visitors. They show a strong understanding of right and wrong, tolerance and respect for others. We want our pupils to develop as responsible citizens who will make a contribution to their school and the wider community. We ensure our pupils appreciate British values such as democracy and freedom. However, our school is not just about school experiences but inspiring opportunities beyond the classroom. That is why we offer a range of wonderful destinations such as New York, Paris and the annual European skiing opportunity.
 

“This school has an excellent VI unit. I find it easy to work and all the staff are really nice. I feel safe in there and get all the help I need”.
- Y7 VI student

Character and Aspiration

Our school seeks to retain the wonderful tradition and heritage of Charles Dickens whilst embracing the modern technological world today. Dickens himself was forward thinking and entrepreneurial. He also inspires us by his dedication to his craft. He knew the importance of hard work and endeavour as the key to success and developing talents. This can inspire our pupils today, everyone can work hard and be their very best.

We believe in traditional values such as hard work, integrity and respect, along with tolerance, diversity and inclusion. We want our pupils to have rich experiences that make them aspire for the very best careers and access to Higher Education and training.

Aspiring together

Parents and carers are the primary educators in every child’s life and we believe successful schools work in strong partnership with them. That is why we believe in regular and informative communication between school and home.

 “I have really enjoyed my time at The Charles Dickens School as the teachers are really supportive and they have always encouraged me to try my very best”.
- Y11 Prefect

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