Educational psychologist

Educational psychologists help children and young people who are having problems while in education. They also help teachers to understand psychological challenges and to meet the special needs of their pupils. Most educational psychologists are employed by local authorities.

Work activities

Educational psychologists encounter a wide range of issues. For example, some children have learning difficulties with reading and writing. Others have social and emotional problems that lead them to display challenging behaviour in the classroom or make it difficult for them to make friends. Some children may have educational needs, such as dyslexia. Sometimes, high-attaining young people have their own needs and may experience difficulties coping with teachers’ and parents’ expectations of them.

Educational psychologists usually begin a case by carrying out a full psychological assessment. This means looking at the young person’s needs, both at school and at home. Psychologists can work either directly with a child or indirectly through their work with parents, teachers and other professionals.

In direct work, an assessment can involve observing young people’s behaviour, or using interviews and test materials. From this assessment, the educational psychologist will make recommendations on the most appropriate educational programme for the child. Recommendations may include counselling, family therapy sessions or planning special teaching techniques to improve the young person’s learning and work on any behavioural problems they have.

In indirect work, educational psychologists contribute their views and findings in consultations with other professionals, including education officers, social workers, medical consultants and health visitors. Educational psychologists also train teachers in different techniques to help pupils with learning difficulties and/or behavioural problems. They help schools to think about and put into practice policies on special needs.

Educational psychologists may organise courses and workshops for parents, teachers or other professionals. These could provide training on issues such as stress management, bullying, specific learning difficulties and behaviour management. Some educational psychologists are involved in research, helping to create effective education policies. For example, they may assess how effective a school’s policy on bullying has been.

Personal qualities and skills

As an educational psychologist, you need:

An investigative mind.
A strong interest in the way young people think and act.
A logical and methodical approach to problem solving.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
A calm, professional approach at all times.
The ability to express your findings, including in reports.
Teamworking skills, to work with other professionals.
Strict respect for your clients’ confidentiality.
The psychological knowledge to understand behaviour in a scientific way.

You should also be:

A good listener.
Logical and systematic.
Patient, non-judgemental and objective.
Able to build a trusting, constructive relationship with clients.
Committed to helping people transform their lives in a positive way.
Resilient and able to avoid becoming burdened by the difficulties you encounter.

Pay and opportunities

Earnings for educational psychologists vary depending on their area of specialisation and whether they are employed or in private practice. Psychologists earn in the range £44,000, up to £57,000 per year (or more) for senior practitioners.

Educational psychologists usually work a basic 35-40-hour week. Some evening and weekend work may be required. Part-time opportunities are also available.

It can be difficult to secure a place on a postgraduate training course, due to high demand.

Opportunities for educational psychologists occur throughout the UK. Most chartered educational psychologists work in the local authority system. Others work with adults, in staff training, or in university teaching and research.

Self-employment opportunities occur for a small number of psychologists to work in private practice.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised in the following places:

Local/national newspapers.
Jobcentre Plus.
The British Psychological Society’s Psychologist Appointments website.
Job boards, such as jobs.ac.uk
The Government’s Find a Job service.

Entry routes and training

The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) regulates professional practice in health, psychology and social care. Postgraduate study and training is a requirement to become a Chartered Psychologist and to register as a practitioner psychologist with the Health and Care Professionals Council. To gain entry to the professional register, you must follow an approved programme and abide by high professional standards, including continual professional development.

Approved courses are listed on the HCPC website. If your psychology degree is not accredited or your degree is in a subject other than psychology, you may be able to follow an accredited postgraduate conversion course. It is usual for potential psychologists to spend at least a year gaining relevant work experience, often as an assistant or research psychologist, before being accepted onto a postgraduate course.

You may continue your studies to a very high level by completing the doctorate in educational psychology. This course is available at a number of universities throughout the UK.

With experience, psychologists can progress to supervisory and management positions.

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act: Chartered psychologist posts are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This means that you must supply information to an employer about any spent or unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings, if they ask you to. This is different from other careers, where you only have to reveal information on unspent convictions if you are asked to.

Qualifications

For entry to an accredited degree course in psychology, the usual requirement is:

Two to three A-levels.
GCSEs (9-4) in two to three other subjects.

English, maths and science GCSE subjects are usually preferred, and a science subject at A-level is sometimes required.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

If you don’t have the qualifications needed to enter your chosen degree course, a college or university Access course (e.g. Access to Psychology) could be the way in. No formal qualifications are usually required, but you should check individual course details. There are accredited conversion courses open to graduates with degrees in subjects other than psychology (and those with non-accredited psychology degrees). Postgraduate study and training is a requirement to become a Chartered Psychologist and to register as a practitioner psychologist with the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC).

Distance or open learning is available from a number of colleges and universities. Always check that the course is accredited by the HCPC. There is advice on the website of the British Psychological Society (BPS).

Related careers

Assistant psychologist
Clinical psychologist
Education welfare officer
Psychologist
Psychotherapist
Teacher
Youth worker