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

Richard Palmer

Richard is a qualified primary school teacher with over 25 years’ experience as a teacher and consultant for PSHE, Citizenship and pupil wellbeing. He has worked at Local Authority level supporting all settings including early years, primary, secondary, alternative provision and post-16 and held a regional Advisory PSHE position.

He has also worked in the university sector and continues to act as a guest lecturer for university and school-based ITE programmes. Through co-finding Chameleon PDE, Richard now offers resources and training to empower teachers to deliver high quality PSHE.

Latest blog posts

Richard Palmer

Transgender issues and what schools can do

Trans identity is highly contested and political. Richard Palmer will explore some of the complexities and competing agendas for schools. Currently, there is no definitive DfE guidance about supporting trans pupils in school, or how at all, trans identity should be included in the curriculum. Many...
Read more...
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...
Read more...
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...
Read more...
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...
Read more...