Blog week ending 8th October
This week we launched our ‘Raise the Praise’ Fortnight; a special celebration of the many positive habits, attitudes and achievements that our students demonstrate every day.
Over a two-week period, students have even more opportunities to earn House Points and Golden Tickets by embracing our RIDES values, maintaining excellent attendance and punctuality, completing home learning, presenting themselves smartly, and contributing positively to school life. While prizes, Amazon vouchers and a rewards breakfast for our highest-scoring forms add an exciting element of friendly competition, the true purpose of Raise the Praise is to recognise and celebrate the countless ways our students make Stone Lodge such a purposeful, respectful and ambitious learning community.
As you will see throughout this week’s blog, there is much to celebrate. From achievements in the classroom to contributions beyond it, our students continue to demonstrate the values and behaviours that make us proud every day.
Students and staff at Stone Lodge School marked European Day of Languages with a vibrant celebration of cultures, traditions and customs from Europe and beyond. Organised by the Modern Foreign Languages department, the day provided students with opportunities not only to learn about different cultures but also to experience them first-hand.
Throughout the day, students took part in a range of activities, including decorating artwork inspired by the colourful Mexican tradition of Alebrijes, playing Mancala, one of Africa’s oldest strategy games, and even recreating Spain’s famous El Colacho festival by safely jumping over dolls representing babies, a tradition believed to bring protection and good fortune.
With House Points on offer for participation, students embraced the activities with enthusiasm, curiosity and creativity. The celebrations highlighted the importance of language learning in developing a deeper understanding of the people, traditions and cultures that shape our diverse world.
In Ms Bonnaud’s Year 7 Spanish lesson, students demonstrated impressive enthusiasm and recall as they practised colours through a fast-paced call-and-response quiz. Focusing on accurate pronunciation and the correct masculine and feminine forms of colour adjectives, students responded confidently to increasingly challenging questions, developing their spoken fluency and subject knowledge in a lively and interactive learning environment.
Mr Bailey’s Year 8 Drama students are currently exploring the theatrical technique of the aside, investigating how characters can reveal their thoughts to an audience without speaking directly to other characters on stage. Through the use of melodramatic performance techniques, students demonstrated their understanding of how asides can add meaning, humour and dramatic tension to a performance.
As part of our SL6 Electives Programme, Year 12 students studying the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) are developing the independent research, analysis and evaluation skills valued by universities and employers alike. During Mr Barren’s lesson, students explored effective research techniques, considering how different sources can help them assess the strengths and limitations of published articles and support evidence-based conclusions.
Our Library has launched the Bookbuzz 2026 scheme for our new Year 7 students! Bookbuzz is a national initiative designed to inspire a love of reading in young people. At SLS, we’re proud to take part, giving our Year 7 students the chance to explore a wide selection of 16 exciting books – and every student gets to choose one to take home for free!
At Stone Lodge we believe that continuing the reading journey into secondary school is crucial – a powerful tool for personal growth and future academic success. Bookbuzz without a doubt, encourages students to talk about books with their classmates, share opinions, and take ownership of their reading choices. It’s a joyful way to promote independence and confidence in reading, and to remind students that reading is something to be enjoyed.
By next week, all Year 7 students will receive an order card to fill in to make their choice. To help them with their selection, the BookTrust have made a fifteen-minute video providing details of all sixteen titles, featuring each author championing their own book. Please click the following link to access the promotional video online – Bookbuzz Secondary 2026: Meet the authors and the books.
Happy reading! Mrs Nguyen, Librarian
Careers Update
Year 9 students Careers session. Financial Education with Make It Make Sense (MiMS). We were delighted to welcome Jemma to Stone Lodge for two days, where she worked with our Year 9 students on financial education, an incredibly important aspect of developing essential life skills for the future.
The Make It Make Sense (MiMS) initiative is a collaborative programme launched by Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CACT) and the University of Greenwich. The programme aims to help young people across South East London and Kent feel more positive and confident about their futures by breaking down the complexities of life beyond school into manageable and actionable steps.
MiMS focuses on raising aspirations, building essential life skills, and preparing students for future careers. Through engaging and interactive sessions, students develop a greater understanding of topics such as money management, decision-making, future planning, and employability skills, helping to equip them with the tools they need to succeed.
The initiative forms an important part of the longstanding partnership between Charlton Athletic Community Trust and the University of Greenwich. A huge thank you to Jemma for delivering these valuable sessions and inspiring our students to think positively about their futures.
Year 11 Free Parent/Carer Podcast. This webinar brings together all the key information parents and carers need on post-16 options, applications, deadlines, revision and wellbeing support into one accessible session. To book your place, please see below poster.
Our Year 12 Level 2 students recently attended a talk delivered by an Events and Outreach Coordinator from North Kent College, focusing on the opportunities available to them after completing their course at Stone Lodge School. We are committed to providing our students with as many options as possible, and having North Kent College speak directly to our students was extremely beneficial. The session provided valuable information about further education pathways and helped students consider their next steps.
Last week, students also explored apprenticeship opportunities and learned how to use relevant websites to search for and track apprenticeship vacancies as they become available. This has helped them gain a greater understanding of the different routes available beyond sixth form.
We ensure that all students are aware of the full range of opportunities open to them and are equipped with a clear Plan A, Plan B and Plan C. By exploring further education, apprenticeships, employment and other pathways, we aim to support every student in securing a positive destination when they leave us at the end of the academic year.
The Stone Lodge Careers Newsletter – Bringing you the latest careers information, guidance and opportunities all in one place. Please click here to read
World Mental Health Day – 10 October. This World Mental Health Day, we want to remind everyone at Stone Lodge that your mental health matters. We all have days when we feel worried, overwhelmed, low or simply not quite ourselves. Sometimes talking about how we feel can be difficult, but you don’t have to wait until things become too much before asking for help.
Looking after your mental health can start with small things – talking to someone you trust, taking a break, getting outside, doing something you enjoy, checking in with a friend or simply being a little kinder to yourself. If you are struggling, please speak up. You can talk to your Form Tutor, Head of Year, Pastoral wellbeing manager, another trusted adult or come and find a member of Safeguarding in the Safeguarding Office near the Wellbeing Hub.
Sixth Form – Wellbeing Ambassadors & Peer Mentors. We’re also recruiting Sixth Form students who would be interested in becoming Wellbeing Ambassadors/Peer Mentors. This would be an opportunity to help promote positive mental health across Stone Lodge, get involved with wellbeing activities and events, and potentially help us develop a lunchtime wellbeing drop-in/Reflection Room. Training and support would be provided.
Small conversations can make a BIG difference.
Please see below a selection of local events and opportunities that have been shared with us!
Student local community opportunity. Student Ebbsfleet Development Corporation is recruiting local people to join the Community Place Review Forum, which will give local people an opportunity to have their voice heard and help influence the design of future developments in Ebbsfleet. No previous knowledge of planning or architecture is required. We think this could be a great opportunity for young people interested in their local area and its future to get involved and share their perspective. To find out more and get involved please email community@frame-projects.co.uk
Calling all budding artists! Kent Life Magazine are launching a Christmas competition for students across Kent schools! Kent Life Magazine has teamed up with Fenwick and are inviting Kent students to design Kent Life magazine’s 2026 Christmas cover!
To enter, you must live in Kent and be in full-time education. A selection of entries will be published in the Christmas issue – along with the student’s first name, age and school.
The winner’s drawing will feature on the cover. To enter a drawing, painting or illustration simply scan and email to kentchristmascover@newsquest.co.uk with the creator’s name, age and school, no later than Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
Forthcoming Dates;
Year 11 Careers Talk – 9th October
Year 6 Open Evening – 15th October
Year 6 Open Mornings (by appointment only) – 19th-23rd October
Last Day of Term 1 – 23rd October
First Day of Term 2 – Thursday 5th November
Best wishes,
Catherine Cusick
Headteacher
