Annual Contracts

An annual contract provides schools with guaranteed access to educational psychology assessment, consultation, training, reports, advice and support

Psychology4Learning are now accepting orders for academic year 2023/24. Note that our ability to accept an order depends on your location, and the availability of an educational psychologist within driving distance.

Educational Psychologist days

Annual contracts run over the academic year. Orders are taken during the Summer term, ready for the work to begin in September. Any number of days can be purchased and will be delivered over the academic year. Contracts are delivered, and priced, in ‘Days’. Delivery of annual contracts takes priority over mid year ad hoc work. As part of the contract the psychologist will hold a phone planning meeting with the school to discuss their requirements at no extra charge.

  • Reassurance – know that you will have access to a psychologist over the academic year.

  • Flexibility – choose how you want to use the psychologists time

  • Innovative – by building a relationship with a single psychologist you can identify more innovative ways of working with them, and using their knowledge.

  • Any number of days – order any number of days from 3 or above e.g. 6 days could be delivered as 2 days per term, 39 days would be 1 day per week.

Ways to work with your educational psychologist

A contract with Psychology4Learning means you have access to the educational psychologist’s time. There are various ways that you can work with your psychologist.

One to One work with an Individual Pupil

If the school Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) is concerned regarding the learning needs of a particular pupil, they may ask for the educational psychologist to meet that pupil. The work may include any combination of:

Consultation with school staff and parents

Educational psychology assessment

Observation of the pupil in the school

Final educational psychology report / consultation record

Reasons for working with an individual pupil may include concerns around dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, ADHD, Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, transition from primary to secondary school, EHCP request / plan, literacy concerns, numeracy concerns, behaviour, anxiety, mental health, risk of exclusion, disability.

Work with a Group of Pupils

There may be a particular group of pupils in school exhibiting similar traits / presenting with similar issues. It may be an entire class, a year group, or a small sub-set of children.

It can be more effective for the educational psychologist to work with the group, and support school staff and SENCO, regarding the needs of the group, than just working a specific individual (e.g. undertaking educational psychology assessment).

Group work may include implementing a specific intervention and working with the children directly, or advising the teaching staff regarding how they could work more effectively with this particular group of pupils.

School Staff Training

Educational psychologist time that is bought as part of an annual contract can be used to delivered school staff training. Training can be tailored to the needs of a specific group of staff e.g. Teaching Assistants, teachers, and can cover a wide range of subjects:

dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, ADHD, Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, transition from primary to secondary school, EHCP request / plan, literacy concerns, numeracy concerns, behaviour, anxiety, mental health, risk of exclusion, disability.

Training is delivered on school site to minimise travel time for staff, and can be interactive / workshop style

School Staff Consultation

A Consultation involves the psychologist facilitating a solution-focused, collaborative, problem-solving discussion. The aim is to increase knowledge and understanding of what the issues are, generate future plans and empower those involved to take appropriate action.

At an individual child level, this may take the form of individual meetings with a child/young person and/or their families, contributing to a support plan. At the school level, this might involve joint work with a class teacher, staff member or groups of staff or attendance at a review meeting. At an organisation level (eg educational setting), consultation may take the form of contributing to strategic planning, or the creation of new policies. Educational psychology assessment is not always necessary, with consultation sufficient in many situations.

As part of an annual contract the school can request specific 1 to 1 consultation e.g. between SENCO and educational psychologist, or between psychologist and a group of staff.

School Staff Drop In

The SENCO can arrange 1 to 1 appointments between the educational psychologist and school staff. Each appointment can be 45 minutes to 1 hour, allowing staff to discuss concerns and request advice. The is an action plan oriented meeting, which allows the school staff to consider future strategies, and plan accordingly for their class / pupils.

The SENCO may wish to sit in all of the meetings, as this also provides them with a valuable update across classes, and to prioritise their work accordingly.

Following a school staff, the SENCO will also have a clearer idea as to which pupils may require more detailed one to one support e.g. educational psychology assessment, from the educational psychologist.

School Process, Policy and Strategy Level Support

Educational psychologists are experts on the SEN / SEND process (Special Educational Needs and Disability) and can provide provide advice, guidance, recommend changes to the schools current SEND process. All our educational psychologists have worked in Local Authorities for many years, and understand the relevant working relationships.

Schools may also wish to review a school policy, where an educational psychologist would be able to advise. For example, a review of the schools behaviour policy or literacy policy, may warrant a review of current research evidence. As well as advice on implementation strategies across the school.