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 safety and pastoral care

Mel Greenwood

Using a relationships-first approach in the classroom

Prioritising strong relationships with pupils creates happy and eager learners, argues Mel Greenwood. She explains how to build and nurture connections with pupils. One of my favourite things to do is share a book with a class of eager listeners. Great literature really does provide an ‘ in' for...
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Candice West

Overcoming three barriers to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion

Finding ways to defeat EDI obstacles can be challenging. Candice West offers tips to locate where unconscious bias, privilege and lack of representation may cause problems. Go straight to Unconscious bias Lack of representation Privilege Educators are passionate about teaching and want young people...
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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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John Dabell

Making schools 'ibasho'

Do your pupils feel at home in your school? John Dabell explains why schools should be places of ‘ibasho.’ In Japanese, the word ‘ibasho’ means a place where you can feel like being yourself, a place where you feel a sense of belonging and purpose resulting from the social relationships associated...
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Angela Milliken-Tull

Seven ways to lead and develop a PSHE curriculum

How can you give PSHE and personal development a platform in your setting? Angela Milliken-Tull provides seven tips to develop your PSHE programme and overcome negative stereotypes. Look on any social media platform, and you will see countless apps and gurus extolling the benefits of a dazzling...
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Richard Palmer

LGBTQ+ education: what’s too little and what’s too much?

‘Make PSHE education as inclusive and balanced as possible.’ In the second of two parts, Richard Palmer explains how to take a non-siloed approach to PSHE. We start part two of this blog on LGBTQ+ education by asking the question – too little or too much? As a child who was educated in the 1970s...
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Richard Palmer

What LGBTQ+ education should we provide?

In the first of two parts, Richard Palmer explores what LGBTQ+ education looks like, what’s ‘age-appropriate’ and poses questions to help review your provision. In the world of PSHE, LGBTQ+ is one of the most controversial issues. Some teachers worry they aren’t doing enough; others are concerned...
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Sarah Hopp

Why neurodiversity is not a diagnosis

Misuse of the term neurodiversity can promote a ‘them and us’ attitude, Sarah Hopp argues. Instead, she explains how to truly embrace our differences and uniqueness. In recent years, the term ‘neurodiversity’ coined by Judy Singer in 1998 has become prevalent in educational literature and policy...
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Dana Abdulkarim

Ignore PSHE at your peril!

Knowing your pupils and localising PSHE for them is crucial in helping them flourish. Dana Abdulkarim explains why devoting time and resource to PSHE is worth it. As a pupil and even when I first qualified to teach, PSHE and all that comes within it were sleeping dinosaurs in most schools. A...
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Olivia Dickinson

What to consider when writing a school uniform policy

Cost, pupil voice and branded items: what should be included in a policy on school uniform? Olivia Dickinson discusses. School uniform is often in the news, whether it’s about how the cost is prohibitive for many families , that girls are petitioning to wear trousers , that boys have worn skirts to...
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