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

Enrichment Activities

Character Education

The Charles Dickens School offers a broad range of enrichment activities, designed to develop our pupils as a whole person, through the PSHEE curriculum, extra-curricular activities and Cultural Capital activities.

Character Education enables us to provide experiential learning opportunities to pupils.

Character Education helps pupils to develop their interests and abilities, provides valuable learning experiences outside their studies, and promotes independence and interpersonal links with pupils in other year groups.

The core aims of our Character Education programme are to:

  • Develop pupils’ resilience
  • Promote co-curricular opportunities to broaden pupils’ horizons
  • Develop independence, self-esteem and responsibility
  • Play an active role as members of a democratic society
  • Make the most of their own abilities and those of others
  • Behave in a socially and morally acceptable way including towards authority and each other
  • Encourage pupils to become involved in the life of their community, both inside and outside of school.
  • Value the achievements they make, and the achievements of others
  • Make informed choices about dealing with risks and meeting challenges now and in the future.
  • Decide on values by which they want to live their lives, helping pupils make informed, ethical choices.
  • Prepare pupils for the future, pathways and progression with pupils realising their potential.
  • Develop a sense of belonging that allows pupils to have a voice and to influence society.
  • Develop confident communicators.

 

The Charles Dickens School Core Values of Character

The school values of Compassion, Aspiration, Resilience and Enthusiasm are embedded into the planning and delivery of Character Education within the school.  Consistent promotion, delivery and reference to our core values to our pupils encourage them continue their development to become well-rounded and exceptional young people:

Compassion; empathy, kindness and an understanding of those around us.

Aspiration; challenge oneself to pursue our dreams and ambitions.

Resilience; manage the change in our lives and develop coping mechanisms to make the right choices and overcome obstacles.

Enthusiasm; to have the energy, equilibrium and happiness in life.

Recognising Character:

We know how important it is for pupils to be rewarded and recognised for doing the right thing. Pupils have the opportunity to earn over 50 badges that represent our “pupils of character”, ranging from Orator, College Bowl champions, Attendance, Intercollege Champion and pupil leadership roles and so many more.

We truly believe in the power of empowering pupils to tell their own story of personal development through these badges; proudly displaying the characteristics and values that they have achieved.

CARE values:

Throughout the academic year, pupils will be exposed to the CARE values consistently to embed the importance of these values as future life skills, alongside opportunities within the Personal Development curriculum to broaden pupils’ experience of extra-curricular opportunities to develop them as a whole.

Continued exposure to the school’s core values (CARE) will allow the consideration of these values to become routine, alongside the explicit highlighting of specific values through PSHE, assemblies and extra-curricular provisions.

Character Caught:

Pupils will develop the strength of their character through the regular reinforcement and empowerment of the school’s CARE values. Character will be caught through the ethos and the values of the school.

Character Taught:

Pupils are provided with structured teaching of character, through lessons, PSHE, assemblies and form time. Throughout the school year, the school CARE values, virtue and character are consistently taught.

Character Sought:

Pupils are provided with multiple opportunities to encourage them to actively seek to develop their own character, for example through (but not limited to) Duke of Edinburgh award, PIXL LORIC, Diana Anti-Bullying award and Debate club, alongside our extra-curricular offer. 

Pupils are given opportunities within school to experience:

  • Outside speakers into assemblies
  • One off workshops
  • Long term programmes
  • Drop in sessions
  • Vote in school-based elections
  • Pupil Voice (Sit on pupil council and various ‘drive teams’).
  • Attend clubs at lunchtime, and after-school
  • Go on school trips
  • Brilliant Club
  • Gifted & Talented club

Values

Documents

Page Downloads  
Term 2 PE - After School Clubs Download
Extra curricular activities term 3 KS3 Download
Extra curricular activities term 3 KS4 Download