Educational psychologist
An educational psychologist is concerned with helping children or young people who are experiencing problems within an educational setting with the aim of enhancing their learning. Challenges may include social or emotional problems or learning difficulties. Work is with individual clients or groups; advising teachers, parents, social workers and other professionals.
Client work involves an assessment of the child using observation, interviews and test materials. They offer a wide range of appropriate interventions such as learning programmes and collaborative work with teachers or parents. Educational psychologists also provide in-service training for teachers and other professionals on issues such as behavior and stress management.
Work can also involve research and advising on educational provisions and policies.
Tasks typically involve:
Full details of the training required to become a Health Professions Council (HPC) registered educational psychologist are available from the British Psychological Society (BPS) . Briefly, you will need the following qualifications:
To use the title ‘educational psychologist’, you will need to be registered with the HPC. This involves completing a Doctorate in Educational Psychology (or equivalent) approved by the HPC. Contact the HPC for more information on the entry requirements for their register. In Scotland, all psychologists employed by local authorities must be chartered and must also be full members of the Scottish Division of Educational Psychology or the Division of Educational and Child Psychology .
For acceptance onto a postgraduate course, you will need to be able to demonstrate that you have relevant experience of working with children in educational, childcare, or community settings. Usually you will be required to evidence at least one year's full-time experience and sometimes two years may be required.
Experience as a teacher is very relevant, although it is no longer a requirement, teachers may be given exemptions from parts of the doctorate. Contact course directors for exemption details.
Admissions tutors for doctoral programmes will not normally accept graduates with a 2:2 without a higher qualification, such as an MSc/MPhil in, ideally, an education-related area. However, candidates with a 2:2 and exceptional experience may be successful. Contact admissions tutors for further details.
In England, the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) manages applications for courses and funding. See Children's Workforce Development Council - Educational Psychology for further details of the application process, accredited courses and closing dates. Funding is only available to applicants who are UK residents and intend to seek a permanent position as an educational psychologist with a local authority in England after successful completion of the programme. Funding is likely to cover fees for all three years and a bursary for the first year. Trainees will be required to seek employment in a trainee post with a local authority for their second and third years. Failure to undertake this may result in the recovery of all or part of the grant.
In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland applications are made directly to institutions. These are the universities of Dundee and Strathclyde in Scotland, Cardiff in Wales, and Queen’s University, Belfast in Northern Ireland. Direct links to these institutions can be found on the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) website. Early application is advisable and funding options are available; competition for course places and funding is fierce.
The Scottish Government offers a training grant to support people doing the MSc. There has been an increase in local authorities in Scotland employing assistant educational psychologists, and these posts offer a useful way of gaining relevant experience for those who wish to do the MSc Educational Psychology course.
There are approximately four times as many applicants for postgraduate courses as there are places. Once you are trained there are jobs available and indeed, an overall shortage is evident.
Apart from academic qualifications, you will need:
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
After you qualify as an educational psychologist, your training and learning will continue throughout your career. There is an ongoing need for keeping up to date with the latest research and ideas. This research might concern relatively 'new' conditions such as dyspraxia or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The research may also involve growing conditions such as autism. There are also new therapeutic techniques or 'tools', such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or hypnotherapy that could benefit your clients. The training may be through short courses, reading and personal research, or attending conferences and networking. Other training needs, such as enhanced IT skills, team working and time management courses, are normally available from your employers.
For promotion to more senior posts where additional skills are called for, e.g. staff appraisal or supervision of trainees, other training is likely to be forthcoming. Individuals aspiring to senior roles might find a formal management qualification advantageous.
In local authority work there is a defined organisational structure and clear career progression to the roles of senior and principal educational psychologist, but there are a limited number of steps on the ladder. In a large authority, psychological services are usually organised into districts, with individual psychologists responsible for the majority of the work in their own area. Also, there are likely to be some specialist posts held by experienced practitioners, e.g. working in specialist units or with one particular condition.
Career development can take many forms. For some people the option to become self-employed, undertake work on a freelance basis or become an active member within the profession would provide new challenges and be considered by others as career enhancements. There also exist opportunities to influence policies and develop best practice models. Another way you might develop your career is by specialising in an area, often selected through local need. If you are in a position to choose a specialty, opt for one that you have an affinity with as you should enjoy the research.
As your expertise and interests develop, your career could move into new areas or branches of psychology transferring your skills to other careers. One example could be the skills and knowledge gained from working in schools, helping staff and pupils better manage those with different disabilities. These skills could then be used in other types of workplaces helping to better manage a disabled workforce, an area associated with occupational psychology.
Vacancies are not evenly distributed across the country so mobility will increase development options and may be required for promotion.
Most educational psychologists in the UK are employed by local authorities and are based in the psychological services of the education departments working in schools, colleges, nurseries, community environments and special units. In Scotland, there are 32 employing local authorities and job opportunities are good. Most newly qualified educational psychologists will be employed by the local authority or educational psychology services (EPS). In Northern Ireland, employers are the Education and Library Boards (ELB) Northern Ireland . Other public sector employers (where you might find yourself the only educational psychologist) would be in regional social services' assessment centres, hospital-based paediatric assessment units or child psychiatric units.
You might elect to work in a research establishment or university becoming involved in teaching as well as research. In most cases your employer is likely to be within the public sector.
One growing area is working freelance, as a private consultant or within a specialised consultancy. The terminology varies, but the work might include some or all of the following:
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