House System
We know that secondary schools can sometimes feel like very big places. Belonging to a House helps our students feel part of a smaller community within the larger whole school community, a team in which students of all ages can work together and with members of staff to achieve common goals.
There are a number of house competitions and events that will take place throughout the year across a range of subject areas. All competitions give the students the opportunity to win house points. In addition, students are able to earn house points in every lesson or for positive contributions to the school. Our students feel proud of belonging to their Houses and quickly form an allegiance to their house and there is a sense of fun and friendly competition across all the house events.
The House system is incredibly important to Stone Lodge, as it enriches the lives of students and staff, fostering a sense of team work and community, and embodying our school philosophy of ‘Building Successful Lives’ which is encapsulated in our RIDES values.
Each house is named after a remarkable historic figure who overcame various obstacles to achieve greatness. Each has made a significant contribution to life today, whether via invention or action, these people embody the ethos of Stone Lodge School.
HAWKING
Stephen Hawking (Science) was a theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author. Hawking was diagnosed with a slow-progressing form of motor neurone disease that gradually paralysed him over the decades. His determination was such that even after the loss of his speech, he was still able to communicate through a speech generating device and work as the director of research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge. He died on 14 March 2018, after living with the disease for more than 50 years.
JOHNSON
Amy Johnson (Engineering) Jwas a pioneering English female pilot who achieved worldwide recognition when, in 1930, she became the first woman pilot to fly solo from England to Australia. Flying solo or with her husband, she set many long-distance records during the 1930s. She flew in the Second World War as a part of the Air Transport Auxiliary and died during a ferry flight. In her lifetime she was a fearless aviator who did much to promote equality for women.
EDISON
Thomas Edison (Technology) was an inventor who has been described as America’s greatest inventor. He developed many devices such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. He was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of organised science and teamwork to the process of invention, working with many researchers and employees respecting the contribution of all collaborators in his work. Edison was almost completely deaf, yet he considered his deafness a blessing as it ‘kept conversations short so he could concentrate on his work!’.
SEACOLE
Mary Seacole (Medical Science) Swas a British-Jamaican business woman and nurse who set up the “British Hotel” behind the lines during the Crimean War. She described this as “a mess-table and comfortable quarters for sick and convalescent officers”, and provided treatment for wounded servicemen on the battlefield. She was posthumously awarded the Jamaican Order of Merit in 1991. In 2004 she was voted the greatest black Briton. Despite prejudice Seacole overcame all obstacles to provide help to the wounded, she was extremely popular among service personnel for her integrity, doing the right thing even when unthinkable prejudice stood in her way.
PTFA
All Parents and Carers automatically belong to the ‘Parents, Teachers & Friends Association’ (PTFA), but being a ‘Friends’ association, membership is not confined to Parents and Teachers, but is extended to include other family relations and members of the public who have been approved by the Committee. We aim to hold up to six Committee meetings a year and one Annual General Meeting (AGM). Everyone is welcome to attend any of our meetings.
We organise a varied programme of events for both students and parents throughout the year which raise funds to provide additional resources for the students which cannot be met from existing school budgets. We are always looking for new ideas for fund-raising events so please get in touch if you feel there is something we should try.
Supporting the Parents, Teachers & Friends
Joining in activities – In addition to organising our own functions, we also support the School by providing refreshments at school events. All these activities are only possible with the help of volunteers – so if you can help, please get in touch.
Stationary Shop – Fully stocked pencil cases are available to purchase on ParentPay between October to June. These are £5 per case and we aim to have these available for collection within two weeks. There is also a stationery ‘top-up’ shop available from reception, with a suggested donation per item from 50p (dependent upon item).
Company Sponsorships and Match Funding – We would like to hear from anyone who works for a bank or building society, or other company that provides a ‘match funding’ scheme, or offers Sponsorships or Grants.
What is Match funding? It is an informal, albeit corporate, arrangement between a company and their employee which maximises the fundraising efforts of individual PTFA volunteers. Not all companies offer matched funding but those that do will pledge a sum of money relating to the amount their employee has raised for or donated to the charity of their choice. If you work for a company that offers match funding, and you volunteer to work at one of the stalls at our PTFA event and profit made by the stall is £100, your employer will then match this amount with a further £100
‘Pre-Loved’ School Uniform Shop – We currently have a small range of pre-loved uniform in excellent condition for sale at very reasonable prices. Please do consider donating any items of uniform that your son or daughter has grown out of – simply drop any items off at our school office, the more donations we receive the better selection we are able to provide for our school community. All pre-loved uniform payments are processed through ParentPay. You are welcome to contact our PTFA for a list of our current availability.
Email [email protected]
Stone Lodge School Lottery Draw – This lottery has been set up specifically to raise money and make a difference for our children!
It’s a fantastic way to bring Parents, Carers, Friends, Teachers and the wider community together, in partnership with our school, and at the same time give something back. We aim to raise funds that can support and enrich the education of our children and to provide extra resources to enhance the school environment.
Your support is greatly appreciated and we wish you good luck! Click here to enter
Easyfundraising – Earn monies for Stone Lodge School when you shop online – at no cost to you! Click here to get started
Joining our PTFA
We welcome new members to join our group. There are a number of ways to get involved, on a regular or ad-hoc basis .. as much or as little time as is convenient for you.
Email: [email protected] to find out more.
If you would like to contact our Chairman please email here with your enquiry. We look forward to working with you!
Parent and Carer Portals
EduLink One
Edulink One is a parent/carer portal and communication app that keeps your child’s school information in one place, meaning you are more informed and involved in their learning journey.
The Edulink One App will enable you to see the following information:
Achievement
Behaviour
Upcoming assessments
Your child’s school timetable
Links to the School Website and Information sites
Report Absence
Attendance records
Your contact information
Account information
To register for Edulink One use the button below along with the postcode DA2 6FY
ParentPay
The School operates a cashless payments system (ParentPay) which is used for all trips and activities offered by the school.
ParentPay is a highly regarded system across education and enables many useful features (such as one account for parents regardless of the number of children in different schools using Parent Pay and the ability for us to refund parents through the system where this is necessary).
Already have a ParentPay Account?
If you already have a ParentPay account, either with our school or another Parent Pay school, you can simply login to that account and add your other children via the Add a child tab on your home page. You will need your activation username and password (issued by the school to parents of all new students).
New to Parent Pay?
You will have a secure online account, activated using a unique activation username and password (issued by the school). You will be prompted to change these and to keep them safe and secure as your username and password for future logins.
Have two or more children at a ParentPay School?
You will only need to activate one account to create you “main account” and then add your other children via the Add a child tab on your home page.
For any help about ParentPay please refer to the ParentPay website, Parents – FAQ’s and feel free to contact the School Finance Office if you need any further assistance.
To activate your account via the Account login area please visit Parent Pay:
School Cloud Parents Evening
With SchoolCloud Parents Evening, you no longer have to organise appointment sheets, process reply slips, or chase students. Parents and carers can simply book their appointment online.
School Cloud Parents Evening
Microsoft Office 365
Microsoft Office 365 is where you will find your school email, your documents and your Teams.
LibreSoft Librarian
Students can log onto the Libresoft website by clicking here which allows them to access the Library system remotely. This enables them to check the catalogue, reserve and renew books and leave reviews for the books they’ve read.
LibreSoft LibrarianEnriching Learning Fund
The Enriching Learning Fund (ELF). Parents/Carers are invited to make an annual voluntary contribution to The Enriching Learning Fund. All money collected will go towards enriching the lives of all our students through the provision of additional activities and resources which would not be available through current Government funding.
The money collected does not subsidise the core curriculum but will be used to enhance the learning environment. Subscription fees to useful clubs and societies can come from The ELF and access to developmental workshops and the subsidising of enrichment activities.
We believe that the success of these projects has a positive impact on each student, and I do hope you are able to support the school in this way. The best and easiest way for the voluntary contribution to be made is through the link below. The suggested donation is £25 per student and can be paid by clicking this link. The donation is eligible for Gift Aid. If you are a UK taxpayer, you can boost your donation to us by 25p of Gift Aid for every £1 you donate by completing the form via the link below.
Thank you for helping to make the learning environment a vibrant and stimulating place for all our students.
School Meals
Pabulum are SLS’s caterers, and they feel strongly about educating the younger generation on healthy eating by providing fresh and wholesome food, as it’s through a balanced diet and healthy food choices that students can maintain higher classroom concentration levels. 94% of our food is freshly prepared in the school’s kitchen with 75% of the food is British and locally sourced. At Stone Lodge School the Pabulum team is led by Kimberley Marchant-Ashworth, she and her team will provide fresh food through the provision of morning break and lunch service.
A cash-less payment system is operated reducing the problems of cash in the school and encouraging healthy eating. Payment can be made online via ParentPay.
Students’ credit balance is debited each time they purchase food items from the cafeteria at breakfast, break and lunch.
An average daily spend is estimated at £4.00 per day, although your daughter/son may spend more than that if they purchase food and drink at breakfast and break too. The Main Meal and Dessert of the Day (hot or cold) at lunchtimes is £2.68.
To keep track of your ParentPay balance and ensure your child has sufficient Dinner Money, the school strongly recommends you set up a Low Balance Alert. Note that this is FREE if the Alert via email option is used. Please click here for more information. The daily spend limit per student is currently set at £7.50 as a default to allow for students to buy food at breakfast, break, and lunch.
If you should need to contact the school kitchen please do so at [email protected]
Free School Meals: To find out if you are eligible for free school meals please click here to read a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ information bulletin
Our Menu follows a three week cycle and can be viewed by clicking below:
Uniform and Equipment
Required Uniform
• School grey jacket with orange trim*
• Grey skirt or Grey trousers*
• Tie to be worn with white shirt with collar*
• Open-necked white blouse with a revere collar or a white shirt with collar
• Black tights or black socks
• Smart black shoes – these should be low-heeled (no higher than 1.5″) and below the ankle. No canvas shoes, trainers, open toe, or boots.
Optional Items
• Grey jumper with orange trim and embroidered school logo*
• Plain, black outdoor coat/jacket (no logos, hoodies etc. permitted)
Physical Education
• Sports Top – Black with orange panel with printed school logo*
• Shorts – Black with orange panel with printed school logo*
• Black tracksuit with orange trim and printed school logo*
• Black or white sports socks
• Non-marking trainers, football boots and shin pads (please click here for information on non-marking soles)
• Black P.E. kit bag.
• Mouthguard for Rugby
• Black Raincoat (optional)
All articles of uniform must be clearly marked with sewn on name tapes or indelible marking ink only.
Items marked * should be purchased through the School’s official outfitter, SchoolShop. They are a completely online service that deliver directly to you, with the ability to order online 24/7 at your convenience.
Make up, Jewellery and Accessories
• No jewellery is permitted in school, a wrist watch may be worn
• Make-up, nail varnish and false nails are not permitted
• Plain black scarves and hats may be worn to and from school in cold weather, but are not permitted on the school site.
• Hair should be smart and professional styles only and in natural colours. Accessories should be discrete, plain and in school colours
Equipment
The following equipment is required;
• Plain black bag of a sufficient size to carry an A4 folder
• A 30cm clear pencil case
• 2 black pens
• 2 red pens
• 2 pencils
• Pencil sharpener
• Rubber
• Clear 12inch ruler
• Highlighter pen
• Protractor
Optional Equipment
• Colouring pens or pencils
