Educational Psychologist

ACS International Schools are looking for an Educational Psychologist to work with students in Early Childhood (ages 2 or 3) up to to High School (age 18), across all three schools, starting in August 2024.

Our vision is for students to become confident, caring and effective global citizens. We hold our values at the core of everything we do and it is expected that any suitable candidate will be able to demonstrate the ability to: imagine better, welcome everyone, aim high and make it happen, work together and act with kindness.

The role is based mainly at our Cobham campus (largest of the three campuses and a boarding school), with time spent at Hillingdon and Egham campuses each week, during the hours of 08:30 - 16:30 and the salary will be dependent on experience and qualifications. In this role the Educational Psychologist will be required to commence work a week before the start of the academic year and typically 2-3 days at the end of the academic year. 

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:

The Educational Psychologist focuses on children's learning and development, using psychological and educational assessment techniques to help those having difficulties in learning, behaviour or social adjustment. Areas of expertise include child development, the psychology of learning and teaching, children and young people's emotional wellbeing, and the psychological aspects of educating children with special educational needs including wide ranging neurodiversity, developmental delays, SEMH challenges, ADHD, ASD, dyslexia, and other higher incidence specific learning disabilities in reading, writing and mathematics.

The core area of practice for the role is providing educational psychological evaluations of ACS students (and applicants) receiving services for moderate special education needs. The role includes a general consultative practice within ACS schools, as well as ongoing support for staff through teacher professional education and advice for case management.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

• Advanced degree (Master’s or Doctorate) in Educational Psychology, focusing on neurodiversity or related disciplines
• Valid registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as an Educational Psychologist (preferred) or an equivalent international qualification
• Proven track record in conducting psychological evaluations of children and young adults, working with neurodiverse students
• Exceptional organisational skills to effectively balance direct student assessments with administrative responsibilities
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and report-writing abilities
• Commitment to working within Health and Care Professions Council standard
• The ideal applicant should be confident, resilient and adaptable
• Have good judgement, act with fairness and integrity, comply with regulations and programme requirements and maintain appropriate confidentiality
• Able to work in an international environment in ways that appreciate diversity and manage differences
• Be able to communicate effectively with all stakeholders in a positive and professional manner
• Ideally, due to visa and time constraints, applicants will already be in the UK. However, international candidates will still be considered and are encouraged to apply.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Administer and interpret a variety of standardised assessments, including but not limited to the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities, and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT), to assess cognitive abilities, learning profiles, and emotional and behavioural needs
• Identify and assess students with neurodiverse conditions, implementing best practices to support ASD, ADHD, dyslexia, and specific learning disabilities in literacy and numeracy
• Actively engage with parents and educators to collect relevant information and secure informed consent before evaluations, fostering a collaborative approach to student support
• Efficiently manage caseload ensuring comprehensive assessments, timely scoring, and meticulous report writing with a commitment to a one to two-week report turnaround
• Offer in-depth feedback and actionable recommendations during meetings with families and educational teams, facilitating the development of tailored individual learning plans (ILPs)
• Partner with school staff to devise and implement effective intervention strategies and deliver training sessions to enhance support for students with neurodiverse needs
• Establish and uphold a systematic approach to segregating assessment duties from paperwork management, guaranteeing efficient processing and clear communication of evaluation outcomes and recommendations (including in ACS Student Information Systems)
• Support with staff training and parent education as required.

BENEFITS INCLUDE:

• Our maximum class size is a manageable maximum of 22 with most classes being smaller than that
• ACS is a well-resourced school, enabling us to provide our students and teachers with the resources they need to learn and achieve
• We take the professional development of our staff seriously and provide ample opportunities and resourcing to support our staff
• Competitive salary including benefits such as private medical insurance (optional), pension, personal days, free onsite parking, access to gym and relocation packages for overseas/international candidates.

SAFEGUARDING

ACS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and as an employee of ACS you are expected to share this commitment. The protection of our students’ welfare is the responsibility of all staff within ACS International Schools and individuals are expected to conduct themselves in a way that reflects the principles of our organisation.