educating your community

Introduction

Local council educational psychology services promote learning, attainment and the healthy emotional development of children and young people aged 0 to 19, through the application of psychology.  Educational psychologists offer assessment, advice and support to parents and teachers where there is concern about the development, learning or behaviour of children and young people.

Educational psychologists usually have responsibility for providing support to a number of different schools in an area.  They are employed by all local authorities except district councils.
 

Work Environment

Most educational psychologists spend the majority of their time working in schools and other educational settings.  They also spend some time at the council offices.

Normal working hours are 37 per week, but it might sometimes be necessary to work evenings and weekends.
 

Daily Activities

Educational psychologists work in nurseries, schools, colleges and special education units with children and their families, teachers, other local authority officers and other agencies.  Their aim is to enhance children’s learning and enable teachers to understand children’s psychological problems and meet any additional support needs they may have.

Educational psychologists encounter a range of issues in their work.  Some children have learning difficulties in reading and writing, others have social and/or emotional problems, which lead them to be disruptive in the classroom.  Others have specific learning disabilities such as dyslexia.  Sometimes educational psychologists might meet very gifted children who have problems dealing with parents’ or teachers’ expectations of them.

An educational psychologist will look at a young person’s needs both at school and at home.  Educational psychology assessment can involve working directly with children and/or indirectly with teachers and parents.

Direct work involves:   

 

• observing a child’s behaviour at school – both in the class and in the playground;
• speaking directly to a child;
• testing a child to check on skills and intellectual development. 

Indirect work involves:

• discussing the child with their parents, teachers and others who know them well;
• reviewing work the child has done at school;
• consulting with other professionals such as social workers and medical professionals.

Once the assessment is done, recommendations are made for further action such as:

• counselling or family therapy sessions;
• planning learning programmes with teachers;
• training teachers in techniques to deal with behavioural problems.

Educational psychologists also play a vital role in a local council’s development of education policy and are involved in policy review, development and roll out.  They are also often engaged with multi-agency working groups to develop policy and carry out strategic research and planning activities on both a local and national level.

Skills & Interests

Educational psychologists need:

• excellent communication and interpersonal skills in order to build relationships with children, parents and teachers;
• a commitment to helping young people overcome learning and behavioural difficulties;
  good problem-solving skills;
• sensitivity, tact and patience;
• good report writing and organisational skills;
• an ability to adapt to changing and challenging work situations;
• excellent research and development skills. 

Entry Requirements

It is essential to have:

• a degree in psychology that gives you the graduate basis for registration of the British Psychological Society (BPS) – find out more about this from the BPS website;
• relevant experience of working with children within educational, childcare or community settings;
• three year doctoral training in educational psychology, which combines study at a university and practical experience within a local council.

The following institutions in England and Wales run the doctorate in educational psychology:

• University of Birmingham
• University of Bristol
• University of Cardiff
• University College London
• University of East London
• University of Exeter
• Institute of Education
• University of Manchester
• University of Newcastle upon Tyne
• University of Nottingham
• University of Sheffield
• University of Southampton
• Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust

The following institutions in Scotland and Northern Ireland run BPS accredited courses in educational psychology:

• Queen’s University Belfast
• University of Dundee
• University of Strathclyde

Estimated salary range

An assistant educational psychologist in England and Wales might expect to earn between £25,000-£28,000 per year, an educational psychologist might earn between £30,500-£40,000 and principal educational psychologists might earn up to around £55,000.
In Scotland a qualified Educational Psychologist can earn £35,577-£45,255.

Please note that salary information is a guide only and there may be local agreements in place. For further information about salaries for particular positions, please contact your local council directly.

Future prospects & opportunities

There is a clear promotion path from assistant level through to principal educational psychologist.  In addition, there might be management opportunities within other areas of the local council’s education and children’s services department.

Related Occupations

Follow this link to view a list of all related occuptions in Educating Your Community.
Alternatively, follow this link to view all career profiles placed in the same job area.

Further Information & Services

Specialist psychology journals and The New Scientist.

British Psychological Society www.bps.org.uk

BPS careers information pages www.bps.org.uk/careers/areas/educational.cfm

Association of Educational Psychologists www.aep.org.uk

Department of Education and Skills www.dfes.gov.uk

Education jobs www.eteach.com

Grant scheme for educational psychologists www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/educational-psychology

You may find further information about this area of work in your local Connexions service/careers office/school careers library - under V.

What should I do next?

Look for current local government Educational Psychologist vacancies in the following places:

• LGjobs.com - the official recruitment website for local government.
• Weekly, bi-weekly or monthly jobs bulletins produced by local councils themselves, available from libraries, community centres, town halls/main civic buildings and central council personnel departments.
• Local council websites.
• Local newspapers
• National newspapers - The Guardian is particularly well known for its public sector job advertisements on a Wednesday.

Find out about the council and get some work experience if possible by:

• Making the most of work experience placements arranged through your school, college or university.
• Contacting councils close to your home to find out about the work experience opportunities they offer.
• Talking to someone who does the job you are interested in - ring your local council to see if someone can spare some time.
• Making an appointment to see a careers adviser for more specific information about jobs and training.