Educational psychologists: what do they do? This is a question that you might think has a simple answer. It’s a question that you might already feel confident that you know the answer to.

But while an increased focus on mental health and neurodiversity in schools has made many teachers and school leaders more aware of the support that external service providers such as educational psychologists (EPs) can offer, there are still plenty of misunderstandings that exist about the role that an EP can play in a school.

So, what do teachers and leaders need to know about the work of educational psychologists, to help them to make the most of this crucial support?

We don’t just assess SEND

Most teachers know us for the part we play in assessing students with special educational needs and disability (SEND), but the role is much wider than this.

Yes, we assess pupils’ needs, but, for us, the really important work is what comes after the assessment: consultation, intervention, training, research.

Our focus is not always on an individual child, either. EPs also work strategically with schools and local authorities. For example, an EP might support an authority or school to reduce the number of exclusions; train school staff to deliver emotional wellbeing interventions; provide coaching; or support critical incident responses. We can also help staff to better understand a range of needs, including mental health needs.

There are many ways to access EPs

Most schools access EP support through the local authority’s Educational Psychology Service. Some of this work is delivered on behalf of the LA so is free to schools; other work is traded and delivered through service-level agreements.

Some schools or academy chains employ their own EP or buy sessions from a self-employed EP. Often, the easiest way for a school to secure EP support is to contact the EP service of your LA to see what support they can offer.

Once a school has secured support, most will buy in a number of sessions per year from an EP service and have a named EP.

Usually, at the start of the academic year, the EP and school Sendco (and other key staff) will have a planning meeting to explore the kinds of support that they are looking for. They will then analyse what is happening in the school to ensure that support is directed towards the right areas.

Services are stretched

Workload and caseloads are high at the moment. Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the number of EP training places, so there are more EPs now than ever, but still not enough.

One of our biggest concerns is making sure we don’t get swamped by statutory assessments for education, health and care plans (EHCPs). Requests for such assessments are rising across the country, and while this is an essential part of our work, the more EHCP assessments we have to do, the less time we have to focus on early intervention and prevention.

We are usually asked to become involved with the most complex children, who often have a history of difficulties, and a range of professionals already working with them. This can require a great deal of unpicking, so time can be a real issue.

A further barrier that is frustrating for EPs is when they are asked to become involved to effectively “sign off” a decision that has already been made (eg, to refer a child to an alternative provision). This often happens because EP involvement is requested, but again, it takes time away from other parts of the job.

We work collaboratively

School staff are not always aware of the collaborative way in which EPs work. We usually view the difficulties that children face as being interactional and contextual, so working with school staff and parents is key to making sense of any difficulties as well as identifying ways forward.

Sometimes, school staff see EPs as “gatekeepers” to further support, resources, or specialist provisions, whereas EPs will usually want to find collaborative ways forward, based on the knowledge and expertise of all persons concerned.

Similarly, school staff or parents may sometimes look to EPs to provide a diagnosis or label to explain a child’s difficulties. But our focus is on developing a shared understanding of the complex range of interacting factors that have an impact upon a child’s progress or presentation.

We need teachers’ help

EPs require informed consent from parents before becoming involved with a child or young person. Most EPs will have talked to parents prior to any direct involvement with a child and will have negotiated with the parents and the school’s Sendco about the best way to be introduced to the child.

Similarly, EPs like school staff to be aware of who they are and what they are doing; an EP visiting a classroom shouldn’t be a surprise to the staff in the room.

And we want teachers to be open with us. Discuss your concerns honestly with us, but don’t just tell us what the problems are.

We want a rounded view of a child. What do they do well? What do they respond best to? What has worked with them; what hasn’t worked? When they are settled and doing their best, what can they do?

Help us to build up a picture of the child’s strengths and positive qualities.

We don’t like the term ‘catch-up’

Many EPs are uncomfortable about the term “catch-up”. In our view, it’s important that children and school staff do not feel pressured to catch up but instead feel supported to recover after the pandemic.

In September, it will be important for schools to prioritise re-establishing relationships, connections and belonging. This will create a secure emotional base for the children, which will help them to more fully engage in academic work.

For some children, this will be relatively straightforward; others will need more time and support.

Some of the more vulnerable students are finding the return to normality particularly hard; school staff should continue to address their individual needs and maintain relationships with these students, remembering that challenging behaviour is often a sign of distress and is always a form of communication.

Overly punitive approaches are inappropriate here, as they do not address the underlying issues, provide emotional safety, or teach children how to regulate themselves.

School staff should monitor their students closely and, if you are worried, discuss any concerns with your Sendco and other senior staff.

David Collingwood is an educational psychologist and president of the Association of Educational Psychologists (AEP)

This article originally appeared in the 13 August 2021 issue under the headline “The making of a smash-hit EP”