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The Optimus blog

The blog that inspires leaders in the UK education sector

The Optimus blog

The blog that inspires leaders in the UK education sector

Behaviour

Andrew Hampton
26 June 2023

Working with boys

Supporting boys in being dignified and respectful to each other, girls and women can be a difficult topic. Andrew Hampton discusses an innovative raft of strategies which have a track record of success. In the depths of the pandemic, I administered Covid-19 tests to a queue of Year 9 boys. Two boys...
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Adele Bates
30 March 2022

Listening, honesty and humanity: how leaders can best support behaviour

It’s easy for school leaders to forget what’s it like to deal with challenging behaviour on a daily basis in the corridors and classrooms. Adele Bates shares top tips from Bukky Yusuf. Last month in my “We give a sh*t” Behaviour Membership I was thrilled to host the first guest speaker session with...
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Adele Bates
16 February 2022

Looked-after children: seeing beyond the behaviour

A looked-after child is twice as likely to be excluded from school due to their behaviour. Adele Bates suggests that a little understanding can go a long way. Being a looked-after child (LAC) does not resolutely mean that you will have behavioural or SEMH (social, emotional and mental health) needs...
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Adele Bates
31 January 2022

You’re not on your own

If you've noticed a change in pupils' behaviour recently, Adele Bates has some reassuring advice - you're not the only one. Behaviour. If you don’t read another word of this article, read the next five: You’re not on your own. In my role as a behaviour and education specialist who supports primary...
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Liz Worthen
20 December 2021

The best that we can be: why behaviour management starts with self-care

Liz Worthen speaks to Adele Bates about what inspired her book, “Miss, I don’t give a sh*t” , and what she’s learned in the process of becoming an author. Regular blogger Adele Bates has published her first book, “Miss, I don’t give a sh*t”: Engaging with Challenging Behaviour in Schools , in which...
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Adele Bates
8 September 2021

How do you deal with behaviour?

Been told you shouldn’t smile until Christmas? Adele Bates explores how you can work out how to do behaviour your own way. When talking about behaviour there is often an underlining assumption that there is one way that really works. It’s the booming voice of discipline creating compliance, where...
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Adele Bates
17 June 2021

How are we all behaving?

Are you seeing unusual behaviour patterns emerging post lockdown? Adele Bates reflects on what she and other practitioners are witnessing, possible causes and solutions. I’ve started and re-written this blog post a couple of times because it seems that every time I think I have found a pattern in...
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Adele Bates
13 January 2021

'Why can't they just behave?'

Answer: because there is something in that negative behaviour that is communicating an unmet need – and It’s our jobs as educators to find out what that is. We’re all human, and will all ponder variations of this question from time to time. ‘Why now?’ ‘It’s not that hard to just sit down.’ ‘It must...
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Adele Bates
14 October 2020

Beyond the big binary behaviour debate

We spend a lot of time talking about and dealing with pupil behaviour but are we always fair and equal? Do we recognise our own bias? Adele Bates explores how best to support our pupils. There are binary debates around everywhere. Traditional vs. Progressive Discipline vs. Liberal Zero tolerance vs...
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Emily Colyer
17 May 2019

Boys' underachievement: rethinking masculinity in schools

Why are boys falling behind in school? Emily Colyer interviews Matt Pinkett about boys' underperformance in his new book Boys Don’t Try? Rethinking Masculinity in Schools. What prompted you to write a book about boys’ underachievement in education? Ever since I started teaching, the debate about...
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