What an Educational Psychologist does

Educational Psychologists (EPs) apply psychology to promote the learning, development, and wellbeing of children and young people aged 0 to 25. They work collaboratively with schools, families, and professionals to: 

• Understand barriers to learning 
• Promote inclusion and psychological wellbeing 
• Support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) 
• Deliver evidence-based interventions and training  

EPs are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council and may be supported by trainee EPs and Assistant EPs. 

Who do Educational Psychologists work with

EP's work with: 

• Maintained schools, academies and specialist settings across Buckinghamshire. 
• Out of county schools working with Buckinghamshire resident children and young people. 
• Children and young people aged 0 to 25 years. 
• Parents and carers. 
• Multi-agency professionals, including SEND, CYPIT and mental health support teams (MHST). 

How Educational Psychologists support schools

Statutory responsibilities

EPs provide psychological advice to the Local Authority under the Children and Families Act 2014. This includes: 

• Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNAs) 
• SEND Tribunal appeals 
• Participation in decision-making panels and forums 

Link Educational Psychologist Support

Each school has an allocated Link EP who offers: 

• Half-termly consultations with the SENDCo
• Participation in TEAM UP multi-agency meetings 
• Systematic work including policy development, training and strategic advice 

Early intervention and prevention

The EPs deliver a range of county-wide non-statutory support, including: 

Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA) 

• Supervision Groups: Regular online sessions for staff working with EBSNA pupils. 
• Drop-ins: Quick access to EPs for advice and guidance on children who are struggling with attendance at school. 
• Toolkit: Schools are encouraged to use the Buckinghamshire EBSNA Toolkit. 
• Contact: For enquiries, email the EBSNA inbox at EBSA@buckinghamshire.gov.uk. 

Social, emotional and mental health (SEMH)

• Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) and nurture supervision: Ongoing support for trained staff. 
• Drop-ins: Quick access to EPs for advice and guidance on children who present with challenging behaviour in the school setting. 
• Contact: For ELSA-related queries, email ELSA@buckinghamshire.gov.uk.

Headteacher supervision

• Reflective supervision: Sessions for Headteachers to support leadership wellbeing and decision-making. 
• Contact: For Headteacher supervision queries, email EPrequests@buckinghamshire.gov.uk.

Assistant Educational Psychologists Offer

Assistant EPs support schools through: 

• Training delivery 
• Group interventions 
• Limited individual work with CYP

For more information, refer to the SEND newsletter, SEND training brochure or your Link EP. 

How to access support

To access support, you can contact your school's allocated EP directly. For general information, use the contact details below: 

• Email: EHCenquiries@buckinghamshire.gov.uk  
• SEND Support Line: 01296 382 135

The SEND Support Line is available Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm and the first Tuesday of the month, 4pm to 6pm.