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

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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Liz Worthen

A time to reflect and celebrate

The inaugural MAT Excellence Awards give school trusts the opportunity to be recognised and celebrated for their work. What achievements would you like to share? What are you most proud of about your multi-academy trust? Is it the wellbeing support you offer to pupils, staff and families? Is it the...
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Sarah Hopp

Why we need neurodivergent staff

A neurodiverse workforce isn’t about being charitable, it’s about creating a workforce rich in a range of perspectives and creativity. Sarah Hopp explains more. In educational policy and practice, focus is often placed on encouraging pupils and students to celebrate who they are as diverse, unique...
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John Dabell

Helping school staff cope with the cost-of-living crisis

What can schools do to help their staff with rising costs? John Dabell offers some suggestions. The cost-of-living crisis is having a significant impact on families with children. Covid-19, the war in Ukraine, Brexit and austerity have all contributed to the cost-of-living. This is also having an...
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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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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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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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Rob Morrissey

New headteachers: 10 things not to do!

Starting a new headship position this term? Rob Morrissey lists some things to avoid and describes what to focus on for a successful start. Without wishing to decry programmes such as the NPQH there is nothing which quite prepares you for being in the chair (as I call it) or headship. That said I...
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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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