Blog week ending 22nd October
As we bring a busy and successful first term to a close, it has been wonderful to see our school community come together in so many ways. From welcoming our new students and showcasing life at Stone Lodge during our Open Events, to celebrating academic achievement, enrichment activities and personal growth, it has been a term full of positive moments.
A particular highlight has been the impact of our Raise the Praise initiative. The outstanding contributions of students across the school have led to a significant increase in House Point totals, culminating in a series of House Celebration Assemblies. These assemblies provide an opportunity to recognise both individual and collective achievements while celebrating the values that make our community so special.
Hawking House was the latest to gather for its celebration assembly, where students’ achievements were recognised and milestones celebrated. Congratulations were extended to the latest Golden Ticket Amazon prize winner, while students reaching Bronze House Point status were applauded for their efforts. Particular recognition was given to the first two students in the school to achieve Silver House Point status, an impressive milestone that reflects their dedication, commitment to learning and embodiment of Stone Lodge values.
Head of House, Mr Dunscombe, spoke passionately about the many positive contributions made by Hawking students and was delighted to highlight the House’s current position at the top of the House Point leaderboard. With a healthy dose of competitive spirit, he encouraged students to continue striving for excellence as the race for House success continues.
As we reflect on the term, it is the enthusiasm, kindness, ambition and achievements of our students that stand out most. We look forward to building on this success in the months ahead.
Pictured below, Year 8 students Bueze J and Myla N our first Silver House Point students of the academic year – congratulations!!
With mock examinations taking place shortly after our return, Year 11 students will have an opportunity to reflect on their progress and take stock of their GCSE preparation. While this can feel like a challenging time, it is also an important stepping stone towards next summer’s examinations. Through effective self-management, consistent revision and the scholarly habits that underpin academic excellence, students can make excellent use of the weeks ahead.
At Stone Lodge, students are never on that journey alone. Following the mocks, staff will provide tailored feedback, targeted resources and subject-specific guidance to help students address any gaps in knowledge and build confidence. As Mr Field, Head of Year 11, noted, “Following the outcome of the mocks, a full programme of GCSE subject support and intervention sessions will be available to support students’ preparation for their GCSEs.” We know our students are capable of great things and look forward to supporting them every step of the way as they continue their journey towards academic excellence.
The Great Hot Air Balloon Debate: Saving Our Books activity! This week in the school library, our Y7 students took part in a fast-paced “Save the Book” activity to kickstart their reading in KS3. The challenge was simple but intense: students had to imagine they were floating in an overloaded and sinking hot air balloon. To stay airborne, the groups had to vote to sacrifice one book by throwing it over the side of the basket. Each student had exactly one minute to pitch their book to the group, passionately defending why its story, lessons, or characters were simply too valuable to be the one thrown overboard.
The library was buzzing with intense and funny debates, rather quick thinking, and sometime surprising arguments as students fought to prove why their story was simply too good to lose.
Beyond being a great deal of fun, this activity gave our students a brilliant platform to begin to build their public speaking confidence and better communication skills. Best of all, it also sparked curiosity, with some students eager to borrow the very books their peers had just defended!
Happy reading! Mrs Nguyen, SLS Librarian
Congratulations to our Halloween Library Competition Prize winner!! Your prizes can be collected tomorrow (Friday) from Mrs Nguyen, in the library!
Mr Braham’s Year 8 Geographers have been exploring the characteristics of rural settlements and urban areas, comparing how people live, work and interact within different environments. Through class discussions and local case studies, including nearby new-build developments, students developed their understanding of the features that make communities unique and the factors that shape them.
Year 10 Engineering students have begun their first practical GCSE project, designing and manufacturing a bike rack. With a strong focus on accuracy and quality of finish, students are gaining valuable hands-on experience while developing the professional skills that underpin successful engineering projects.
Careers Update. As part of our commitment to exposing students to a wide range of academic and 
vocational pathways, a group of students recently attended a Paye Stonemasons masterclass at Leeds Castle. During the visit, they explored the historic stonework of the castle, learned about restoration and conservation projects, and gained first-hand insight into careers within the heritage and construction sectors.
The experience also included a hands-on workshop with professional stonemasons, giving students the opportunity to try traditional stone-carving techniques for themselves. Feedback from the organisers was overwhelmingly positive, with staff commenting that the students were “an absolute pleasure” and a “genuine joy to work with”.
We are grateful to the team at Paye Stonemasons and Leeds Castle for hosting the visit and providing such an engaging insight into this highly skilled profession.
We were delighted to welcome Jo from Amazon to speak with our Year 10 students regarding an exciting work experience opportunity. Amazon has generously offered up to 25 work experience placements, and Jo spoke about the programme, the benefits of work experience, and what it is like to work at Amazon.
Following the presentation, over 40 students expressed an interest and collected an application form. Completed applications must be submitted by Friday 23 October.
This is a fantastic opportunity for our students, and we are proud to be one of the first schools in the area to work with Amazon on this programme. We look forward to seeing our students benefit from this valuable insight into the world of work.
Announcing Our Year 12 House Leaders. We are delighted to introduce our new Year 12 House Leaders, who have recently been presented to students during House Assemblies.
Serving as accessible role models and enthusiastic champions for their Houses, our House Leaders play an important part in school life. They provide peer mentoring and one-to-one support where needed, help to manage and present House Assemblies, and work closely with students and staff to develop House activities and events. Acting as a valuable link between the student body and the Senior Leadership Team, they help ensure that student voice remains at the heart of our House system.
George G added, “As someone who has been part of Stone Lodge since Year 7, I’m proud to have the opportunity to give something back as a House Captain for Hawking House. I’m looking forward to supporting students, helping with House events and fundraising activities, and encouraging others to make the most of their time at school. I’m also excited to start my peer mentoring training, which will help me support younger students and share some of the experiences I’ve gained along the way.”
We look forward to seeing the positive impact they will have within their Houses and across the wider school community throughout the year.
Congratulations to our newly appointed House Leaders:
- Hawking: George G and Finley
- Edison: Archy P and Lewis P-R
- Johnson: Madison W and Felicity T
- Seacole: Maisie W and Lexie B
- Angelou: Emilia N and Leonie A
Pictured below, George and Finley of Hawking delivering part of this week’s assembly.
Across Endeavour MAT, we share a belief that talent can be found in every classroom, every year group and every community. This summer’s GCSE results brought national recognition for that commitment, with our Trust ranked first in the country for improvement in outcomes for disadvantaged students with Stone Lodge playing a significant part in this success. While statistics tell only part of the story, they are an important recognition of the dedication shown by students and staff every day. This is an achievement of which our whole school community should be exceptionally proud.
Below, local events and opportunities that have been shared with us that we hope will be of interest.
RAF Manston History Museum has asked us to share their forthcoming event.
“We are reaching out because we have our Modelfest at the Museum event being held on the 24th and 25th October this year. This event is home to display of all kinds of models including trains, helicopters and tanks, from all different companies and brands.”
Kent Libraries are part of the Youth Engagement Network. The aim of the network is to develop youth led co-creation and engagement, working with young people aged 11–16. This is an opportunity for young people to shape library spaces and services. We are hoping to encourage participation by providing free refreshments at these drop-in sessions including pizza, soft drinks, or other freebies! We don’t have a defined outcome in mind, it could be about changing the young people’s area at Dartford Library to make it more appealing, it could be about choosing different books for young people, it could be about developing groups or activities for young people, it could be about how we communicate what the library can offer to young people. We have an open mind about how this work can develop and are committed to listening to and co-creating with young people.
As the first step in this project, we are hosting three drop in sessions at Dartford Library to engage directly with young people about what they would like to see from our libraries.
These sessions will take place at Dartford Library on:
Thursday 29 October, 4.30pm to 5.30pm
Ebbsfleet Young Design Group’s October half term programme.
I wanted to reach out to you about our Ebbsfleet Design Group programme for 16-25 year-olds local to Ebbsfleet (including those living in Dartford, Greenhithe, Swanscombe, Northfleet and Gravesend).
Led by architecture studio Flimsy Works (who also led last year’s programme), the Ebbsfleet Design Group 26/27 programme will work with the Design Group to continue designing and building new community resources for Ebbsfleet Garden City.
This will involve a series of practical, hands-on workshops alongside other opportunities for the Design Group to take their building work to local events in November, March, and June.
By joining the Design Group, students will:
- Learn new design and practical skills using recycled, natural, and locally sourced materials
- Take part in workshops with professional artists and designers who put sustainability at the heart of their practice
- Meet and collaborate with other young people interested in sustainable design and architecture
- Make real-world interventions in the new garden city in Ebbsfleet.
The link to sign up to the Design Group can be found here:
The full programme schedule is as follows:
October Workshops
Tuesday 27th October
Wednesday 28th October
Thursday 29th October
November’s Local Event:
Saturday 21st November
Dartford Family Hubs are hosting a SEND Roadshow at Temple Hill Community Centre on Tuesday 3rd November between 10am-12 midday. Please see the attached flyer for full details for any families who may like to attend.
Forthcoming Dates;
Last Day of Term1 – Friday 23rd October
First Day of Term 2 – Thursday 5th November
Year 11 Mocks – 9th – 20th November
Children & young adults Mental Health Parent/Carer information evening – 18th November 7pm (online)
UK Parliament week – 23rd-29th November
Year 9 Careers session – 24th November
SEN coffee morning (by invitation) – 26th November 9.15am-10.30am
Year 10 Careers session – 1st December
SL6 (sixth form) Open Evening – 3rd Dec – 5pm-8pm
Years 7-11 Flu vaccinations – 7th December
Year 7 Carol service – 8th December
Last year’s Years 11 & 13 Celebration & GCSE/a Level certificate collection evening – 8th December
Year 11 GCSE mocks results Assembly (and Report home) – 16th December
Year 11 Parent/Carer Evening – 16 December 3.30pm-6.30pm
Christmas lunch & Christmas jumper day – 17th December
Last Day of Term 2 – 18th December (finish at lunchtime)
Best wishes,
Catherine Cusick
Headteacher
