Educational psychology

 

You, your child's school, your child's paediatrician or some body else involved with your child's care may want to ask an educational psychologist to assess your child and give their opinion on his or her educational needs.  
An educational psychologist (EP) is someone who is trained in psychology to Master degree standard or higher.

Educational psychologists apply their knowledge of child development to behaviour and learning that takes place in the home, in schools and in other educational settings, such as nurseries and playgroups.

Every educational psychologist employed by a local educational authority (LEA) need to be eligible for registration with the British Psychological Society and to be bound by its code of ethics and conduct.

Most educational psychologists are employed by local educational authorities to provide support and advice on how to help children and young people get the most out of school and their educational opportunities.

An educational psychologist may do this by providing general advice or training or they may provide more individual support and advice on a child or young person after having undertaken an assessment. Assessment can only happen if parents and/or the child have given their consent.

Normally individual work with children and young people will only take place if there is evidence to suggest that the child's difficulties are significant enough to warrant it and that school staff and other professionals have done all they should to help and supported the child first.

 

Educational psychologists provide this support and advice to parents, teachers (and other school staff), LEA officers and sometimes to LEA members, other people involved in a child's care, as well as to the child or young person themselves.

 

Assessment can take many forms. The type of assessment a psychologist will choose will depend on the type of difficulty being investigated. Typically a psychologist would want to talk to those who know the child well such as their parents and teachers, and get their views of a child's strengths and difficulties and what might be done to overcome any barriers to success.

 

An educational psychologist may observe a child in class or in the playground or may ask a child to undertake some set tasks or tests.   Psychologists will also need to seek the child's own view of their problems and what help they think would be best for them. The psychologist may need to see your child more than once.

 

After an individual assessment is completed, the results of the assessment and recommendations may be told to you and school on the day, if this is possible.

A written report of the assessment and recommendations or action will be prepared and either sent to you directly as soon as it is completed, or sent to you attached to a Statement or Note-in Lieu of a statement if the assessment was undertaken as part of a multi-agency statutory assessment.

 

If you have any queries about the assessment report, you can either ask school staff to help or contact the educational psychologist who saw you child.

 

If you have any queries or are unhappy with the results of the assessment, then you should contact the educational psychologist who saw your child to discuss this.

 

An educational psychologist will not be able to change the results of any assessment unless they are wrong, but will want to know of your concerns.

 

If your concerns are about the way the assessment was conducted rather than the results you should contact the Principal Educational Psychologist for Monmouthshire.

 

Aims of educational psychology

To apply psychology

• To support the improvement of learning environments for children and young people in order to raise educational standards for all
• To promote early intervention and forward planning as a means of prevention
• To support schools in including all children and young people       
• To promote the Monmouthshire Psychology Service as part of Monmouthshire public services
• To ensure the continuing development of high quality professional practice in the Monmouthshire Educational Psychology Service.
  

Who are we?

• We are a team of 4 educational psychologists with a wide range of responsibilities across the County of Monmouthshire.
• The Monmouthshire Psychology Service is part of the Directorate of Lifelong Learning and Leisure.
• Our professional training has given all of us a special understanding of psychological development - how children, young people and adults think, feel, learn and behave.
• We have all worked as qualified teachers.
• We have knowledge of schools and the education system and can assist in finding ways of helping children at school.

What can we do?

• Consult with staff in schools, nurseries and other settings, parents/carers and young people, on all aspects of learning and development.
• Listen to, observe and assess children and young people.
• Work with children and young people, alone or in groups.
• Work with groups of teachers or parents/carers.
• Provide training for school staff.
• Support school communities in developing approaches to issues such as inclusion, discipline and bullying.
• Liaise with other professionals as part of a multi-agency approach.
• Work on special projects.

How do you contact us?

In the first instance you should talk to the Headteacher or special needs co-ordinator (SENCo). They will advise you on whether or not our involvement is appropriate.

psychology@monmouthsire.gov.uk