Educational Psychology Service Frequently Asked Questions
Q What is an Educational Psychologist?
Educational Psychologists use their knowledge of psychology, learning and behaviour to support teachers, parents and carers where there are concerns about pupils’ educational progress and/or behaviour in school. Educational Psychologists work in collaboration with teachers and other professionals to help children and young people to achieve their full potential.
Aberdeen City Council Educational Psychology Service works through a model of service delivery that is based in Consultation. This involves working with key adults, parents & carers and children & young people to gather information, plan ways forward and review any interventions and strategies being used.
Each school has an Educational Psychologist with an allocated proportion of time to visit schools where they work closely with staff, parents, pupils and other professionals.
For more information please refer to the Educational Psychology Service information leaflets
Information for children and young people
Information for parents and carers
Information for schools and other agencies
Q How does an Educational Psychologist become involved?
Every school has a system in place for monitoring and reviewing the progress of all children and young people. As part of this process, every school has an identified Educational Psychologist who visits the school on a regular basis and who is part of the school’s extended support team. The Educational Psychologist liaises regularly with an identified School Link Person to plan their work.
If you have particular concerns about your child it is good practice to share them with school staff first as many problems can be dealt with in school without the involvement of an EP.
If there are concerns which require the involvement of an Educational Psychologist, an Initial Consultation meeting is held with relevant school staff. This would be an informal discussion covering a range of practice and management issues.
If it is agreed that a particular difficullty needs to be looked at in greater detail, the school will discuss this with parents or carers and obtain their consent for the Educational Psychologist to become involved in discussion with those closest to the concern.
A Full Consultation meeting will then take place and will involve parents/carers, school staff, the Educational Psychologist and other interested parties who can meaningfully contribute to this problem solving approach. The purpose of this meeting is to collate information, seek solutions and plan any further action necessary.
Q What is Consultation?
Consultation is a model of service delivery in which people who share concerns work together to identify ways forward. A Consultation meeting involves collaborative exploration, solution-building, planning, evaluation and review. This approach draws upon a number of psychological theories that the Educational Psychologist uses to facilitate reflection and problem-solving.
For further information please go to Educational Psychology Service Consultation model
Q Do Educational Psychologists carry out assessment?
The purpose of an assessment is to inform future intervention. An intervention is a strategy or method designed to overcome barriers to learning and teaching. Assessment involves the gathering of information from a variety of sources using a range of methods over time.
Assessment may involve direct or indirect work with children and young people.
Direct assessment might include observation, analysis of work, questionnaires, curriculum-based assessment, dynamic assessment, checklists and scales.
Indirect assessment is based on an analysis of information gathered in consultation with those most directly involved with the individual child or young person (e.g. parents, school staff, other professionals).
Q What is dynamic assessment?
Dynamic assessment is based on the principle that it is possible to learn about a child’s learning ability and style by interacting with them during the assessment process. The objective of the assessment is to explore to what extent the child can respond to assistance, also to assess what level of assistance (or ‘mediation) is required to change the child’s level of performance. The Educational Psychologist investigates the cognitive skills the child is using during the dynamic assessment task, noting where the child’s strengths lie. This information can them be shared with others (for example class teachers) and used to inform further intervention.
For further information please refer to the Dynamic Assessment leaflet
Q What is video interaction guidance (VIG)?
The focus of VIG is to create a heightened awareness of the verbal and non-verbal communication skills that promote positive interaction. The process has three main stages:
1. A short piece of film is taken
2. The film is edited and micro-analysed using Contact Principles of good communication as a guide
3. Feedback is given to the client (for example to pupils and teachers)
For further information please refer to the Video Interaction Guidance leaflet
Q What is person centred planning (PCP)?
PCP is a technique that can facilitate the participation of children and young people in processes that impact upon their lives. Including the child or young person in the processes that Educational Psychologists are involved in at the school level helps to achieve a more holistic view of the current situation.
PCP can be used in schools to allow pupils to be involved in planning for their own future, placing the pupil at the centre of this process. Strengths and capabilities are identified, as are supports they may need along the way. Family members, friends and other professionals who know the pupil can also be involved, as they too will bring a variety of knowledge and different perspectives.
For further information please refer to the Person Centred Planning leaflet
Q What age range do Educational Psychologists work with?
Educational Psychologists work from pre-school to secondary school (0-19 years). Developments are taking place in Post School Psychological Services which will lead to Aberdeen City Council Educational Psychology Service working with young adults up to the age of 24.
Q How to become an Educational Psychologist
Educational Psychologists have an Honours degree in Psychology, which must be recognised by the British Psychological Society as conferring eligibility for their graduate basis for registration.
Educational Psychologists are also then trained at postgraduate level for two years (in Scotland) and are eligible for chartered status following a probationary year as a practising Educational Psychologist in an accredited Educational Psychology Service.
Currently there are two universities in Scotland that offer postgraduate (MSc) training for Educational Psychologists, the University of Dundee and the University of Strathclyde. Both universities currently offer 27 places. The two courses are run in alternate years (University of Strathclyde 2009, 2011 etc and University of Dundee 2010, 2012 etc).
In addition to an undergraduate honours degree in Psychology, applicants are also required to have two full years of relevant work experience with children and young people, for example, working as a classroom assistant, a teacher or a care assistant.
Aberdeen City Council Educational Psychology Service employs Assistant Educational Psychologists who are located within the Educational Psychology Service. This offers direct experience of working within an Educational Psychology Service and therefore highly relevant experience for applying to the MSc training courses.
Q What are additional support needs (ASN)?
The Education (Additional Support for Learning) Act 2004 became law in November 2005. Under this legislation, a new framework was introduced for supporting children and young people in their schools. The term additional support needs (ASN) refers to support that is additional to or different from the education provision provided for children or young people of the same age.
The additional support is that which a pupil needs in order to help them make the most of their education. Additional support needs may be long term or short term and can arise as a result of many factors, for example a pupil who: is being bullied, has experienced a bereavement, has a hearing impairment, has social and emotional difficulties or is suffering mental health problems. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and additional support is provided where necessary.
The Education (Additional Support for Learning) Act 2004 imposes duties upon Education Authorities to make adequate and efficient provision for each child with additional support needs, for whose school education they are responsible.
Q Are Educational Psychologists involved in supporting all children with additional support needs?
No, some children may have additional support needs based on health or social factors that can be met through existing school and other external supports. Other agencies may be involved, for example: speech and language therapy, social work, voluntary agencies.
Q What should I do if I have concerns regarding my child’s education or think my child has additional support needs?
In the first instance a parent/carer should speak to the headteacher of a primary school, or guidance staff in a secondary school. If you have particular concerns about your child it is good practice to share them with school staff first as many problems can be dealt with in school without the involvement of an Educational Psychologist.
Back to the Educational Psychology Service home page