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

Leading teaching and learning

Mel Greenwood

Equity is not equality — we must stop mixing the two

Does your school know the difference between equity and equality? Mel Greenwood discusses the benefits and importance of the two in the classroom. If there are two virtues I see muddled often, they are equality and equity. To pinch a phrase made popular by WomenEd , equality ensures that we all...
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Mel Greenwood

Blue is for everyone. Pink is for everyone.

What are gender stereotypes? Mel Greenwood describes day-to-day life examples and the importance of challenging gender myths. On my fertility journey, hoping to start a family, people often ask me ‘what I want’, and this question irritates me more than it should. Answer — I would like to birth a...
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Elizabeth Holmes

Outdoor learning and Forest School – enhancing experiences at school

What is Forest School? Elizabeth Holmes discusses establishing a Forest School and the benefits that come with it . What if we knew that spending time outside in the natural world contributed positively to our sense of health and overall wellbeing? Would that impact how we teach children to...
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Richard Palmer

Assessing PSHE: problems and solutions

How can you show your PSHE curriculum meets the needs of pupils? Richard Palmer considers five challenges with the assessment of PSHE and how to overcome them. Go straight to What are the main challenges The way forward The power of the NWH approach What form of evidence do we need Schools must...
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Mel Greenwood

We are what we see in others: modelling in the classroom

Modelling is the only buzzword we should be uttering, says Mel Greenwood. She explains five ways to model your mindset to best impact your students. We should never belittle our ability as an educator. Everything we do and say is being watched and scrutinised by our children and young people and it...
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Adam Smith

Smells like team spirit

Does your classroom benefit from strong pupil centred team spirit? Adam Smith describes how to evaluate and review the impact of teamwork. In schools we all talk about having a positive ethos or a collaborative culture where we are singing from the same hymn sheet, on the same page, and all the...
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Michael Tefula

Is university worth it?

Have students been mis-sold the benefits of a university education? Guest blogger Michael Tefula explains how to make a more informed decision. University used to be one of the surest ways of getting ahead in life, and for some students, especially those who wish to pursue careers in fields where a...
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Aldaine Wynter

Representation in the curriculum: culture, diversity and inclusion

In the third of his series of blog posts, Aldaine Wynter looks at the importance and impact of a diverse curriculum. In this blog we will look at the following areas in relation to representation in the curriculum: cultural representation embedding diversity into the curriculum creating an...
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Sarah Hopp

For the love of learning: using the positive niche construction framework

Balancing pupil wellbeing and academic catch-up is challenging. Sarah Hopp explains how the PNC framework can help all learners flourish. In the recent Opportunity for all white paper the government announced that by 2030: 90% of learners should reach the expected standard in English and maths at...
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Elizabeth Holmes

The Joy of Not Knowing: a conversation with Marcelo Staricoff

Learning how to learn, philosophical thinking, action research and getting comfortable with discomfort: Elizabeth Holmes gets to grips with JONK. Recent headteacher, now consultant, lecturer and author, Marcelo Staricoff is a man with a mission. Drawing on his decades of experience as a scientist,...
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