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

Pupil progress

Rachel Wright

Why 100% attendance awards are toxic to school environments

Going to school or work is important, but not as important as mental wellbeing and health. Rachel Wright argues why schools need to stop giving out attendance awards. ‘Four reasons my son won’t be collecting his 100% attendance award’ became a social media viral phenomenon in 2017. As a blogger and...
Read more...
Ann Hickman

Progress and SEN: why I worry more for the child who is making progress

Progress is a word I cling to like an umbrella in a downpour. If my kids aren't making progress or progress at the right pace, it can be back to square one. Progress. It sounds like something out of an election campaign. In fact, Al Gore used it in 2000 as his presidential campaign slogan, ‘...
Read more...
Simon Yates

SEND assessment: facing the firing line

At Chailey Heritage Foundation the staff assess their own progress in achieving pupil outcomes. Now they’re asking parents to rate them too. As described in my previous post, SEND assessment: measuring our progress, not the pupil’s , each learner at my school has their own curriculum –in the form...
Read more...
Evie Prysor-Jones

Tools for keeping pupils and parents involved in progress

The ethos surrounding SEN in schools is obviously important, but to keep provision child-centred, a well-structured document can be invaluable. When target setting with pupils nothing could be more important than asking the pupil what they think. This sounds easy, but thinking about appropriate and...
Read more...