Course Summary
This course provides full-time professional training leading towards registration with the Health and Caring Professions Council (HCPC) as an Educational Psychologist (this is a protected title). During the programme trainees will participate in university based teaching and learning, modular assessments, research culminating in a doctoral thesis and professional practice placements in Local Authorities and other settings relevant to educational psychologist work.
This course will equip you to work as an Educational Psychologist in Local Authority children’s services, Educational Psychology teams, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), voluntary agencies or independently. We are driven by our determination to work towards social justice for vulnerable young people and their families and for children with special educational needs, and to advocate for their rightful place in society.
The Professional Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology programme at UEL aims:
To ensure trainees:
- develop the Standards of Proficiency required to work as safe and effective educational psychologists
- understand the implications of the HCPC’s standards of conduct, performance and ethics
- develop autonomous practice and reflective thinking
- develop appropriate research skills as a basis for evidence-based practice and practice-based evidence
- respect the rights and needs of service users through a commitment to equal opportunities and the principles of beneficence, autonomy and social justice.
- become competent and creative educational psychologists able to work effectively in educational and community settings
In reflecting the ethos of the University of East London the programme is committed to:
- applying psychology to make a positive difference to children and young people and their families
- using a broad range of assessment instruments with due consideration to their relevance to the client, their needs and likely interventions
- applying and keeping up to date with research evidence in child development and educational psychology
- listening to the child's perspective and involving children and young people in decision-making
- valuing the role of parents and carers in the education of children with additional needs
- promoting the inclusion of children and young people with special educational needs into mainstream schools
- exercising duty of care with regard to safeguarding children
- reflecting our multi-cultural and diverse society
- promoting equal opportunities which recognise differences of race, disability, gender, sexuality, age, religious, cultural and socio-economic status
- carrying out research that promotes participation and is of benefit to communities
We are looking for practitioners who are seeking to extend their use of psychology with children, young people and families. You will need the Graduate Basis for Certification with the BPS and relevant experience. Full details of the application requirements and processes are available from The Association of Educational Psychologists.
In recent years, around half of our students have been teachers or Assistant Educational Psychologists, while other professions represented have included Teaching Assistants, mental health and clinical practitioners, youth workers and social workers. Many have postgraduate qualifications as well as a depth of relevant paid experience.
The course meets both the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) standards and the Division of Educational and Child Psychology – British Psychological Society (DECP) criteria for three-year training.
Successful applicants are expected to confirm their fitness to study and practice at the start of the programme. Potential applicants need to be aware of these requirements prior to application. Once on the programme, trainees are expected to maintain their health and well-being throughout the duration of the programme and in line with the HCPC's guidance on conduct and ethics, to let the education provider know if their health status changes.
The programme is doctoral level and the overall credit rating for this course is 540 credits. This is a national standard for Professional Doctorates. If for some reason you are unable to achieve this credit you may be entitled to an intermediate award, the level of the award will depend on the amount of credit you have accumulated. You can read the full University Student Policies and Regulations on the UEL website. Because the title of Educational Psychologist is protected it is important to be clear that any award other than that achieved by successful completion of the full Doctorate programme will not entitle you to use the title Educational Psychologist. The title can only be used following successful completion and subsequent registration with the HCPC. The AEP also place stipulations related to completion in the contract for a funded place.
HOW YOU'LL LEARN
To be a practitioner you need to know how to help children and young people build resilience and confidence so that they can succeed in school, at home and in their community. This will involve working directly with children and young people as well as supporting parents, teachers and other responsible adults.
You will have regular individual and small group support from you Academic and Professional Tutor at UEL as well as from Fieldwork Tutors and supervisors on placement. Practice placements constitute a crucial and integral part of the training for Educational Psychologists in all three years. Trainees will be on placements throughout their training, working with a range of client groups and, increasingly, will develop skills and knowledge across the three years to enable them to work effectively and ethically with complex cases. The year-long placement modules support trainees' development on bursaries by progressively building their experience of service delivery and working effectively as a practitioner in different contexts with a range of client groups and issues.
Each trainee is assessed extensively using the Placement Assessment Report and Portfolio at the end of each year's placement by their placement supervisor, there is also an end of year progress review conducted by the trainees' Academic and Professional tutor.
In your second and third years, when you will usually be placed in a Local Authority Educational Psychology Service, you will be expected to undertake a piece of research on an important area of concern. This will involve what we call ‘real-world research’. For example, one of our students recently undertook research on students excluded from secondary schools.
As Educational Psychologists we are committed to facilitating high quality adult learning. You will expected to engage as a professional trainee at Doctoral Level. Our trainees have varied knowledge and experience and we therefore recognise the need to offer differentiated experiences. We encourage reflection, autonomy and commitment. We are highly supportive as an academic team and we pride ourselves on promoting the wellbeing of our trainees.
The course involves campus-based learning and teaching, self-directed learning, research and placement in Educational Psychology Services (EPS) and other employment settings, where you will work under supervision.
In your first year you will spend most of the first two terms on campus. The focus is on work with children and people. You will complete year long academic and placement modules. We currently arrange placements in Year 1 with partner local authorities in London and the South East Region. These are supported by Fieldwork Tutors who work in the Local Authority. You will also complete a group research project in the LA setting.
In your second year you will complete year long academic and placement modules. The focus is more on applying psychology at the group level. You will also take on a bursary-supported placement for 130 days (usually three days each week). During the autumn term you will complete a research proposal.
In the third year there is a focus on complex systems and organisational change. You will complete year long academic and placement modules. You will usually continue in the same placement. You will complete your research and write up your thesis.
- Dr Mary Robinson (Programme Director)
- Dr Miles Thomas (Programme Director)
- Dr Helena Bunn (Academic and Professional Tutor)
- Dr Lucy Browne (Academic and Professional Tutor)
- Dr Pandora Giles (Academic and Professional Tutor)
- Dr Janet Rowley (Academic and Professional Tutor)
- Claire Correia Research Administrator
- Maha Anis Course Administrator
- PY8111 Dr Mary Robinson
- PY8112 Dr Helena Bunn
- PY8113 Dr Janet Rowley
- PY8114 Dr Pandora Giles
- PY8115 Dr Lucy Browne
- PY8116 Dr Miles Thomas
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
In your first year you will spend most of the first two terms on campus, completing modules in Professional Practice, Child Development, the Process of Psychological Assessment and Consultation and Intervention.
While studying these modules you will also spend time developing skills with children and young people.
In the third term you will undertake a module in Professional Practice in the Real World, during which you will have a block placement in an EPS setting. The sixth module is Research Design, which prepares you for your research thesis.
In your second year you will take on a bursary-supported placement for three days of the week. During the autumn term you will complete a module at the university on research – in order to complete your research proposal on the placement.
Throughout the year you will also take a module in Developing the Competent and Reflective Practitioner in Simple Systems and you will begin the research for your thesis.
In the third year you will continue in your placement, as well as completing a module in Developing the Critical and Reflective practitioner in Complex Systems. You will complete your research and write up your thesis.
YOUR FUTURE CAREER
There is a national shortage of educational psychologists and graduates of our programme are in great demand.
Our programme is designed to give you the opportunity to:
- Qualify as a practitioner educational psychologist with the HCPC
- Become a creative applied psychological practitioner
- Apply psychology to make a positive different to children, families, carers and schools
- Apply best educational psychology practice, based on research evidence and professional experience (practice based evidence)
- Become a self-reflective practitioner and continue to develop personally and professionally through your career
What every one of our graduates will take with them is a sense of our values – an awareness and understanding of diversity, a commitment to social justice, beneficence and promoting autonomy.
Please note a trainee place is an exempted occupation for the purpose of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. All "spent" and "unspent" convictions must be declared. Having a "spent" or "unspent" conviction may impede your application for the course. This will depend on the circumstance and background to your offence in relation to the university place that you are applying for. Evaluation of information is based on strict confidentiality and discretion.
My name is Kavisha Prince Anthony, and I always had a dream of studying abroad. Thankfully, that dream came to life since I applied to the Study Advisor. I was able to receive my visa within four days. I also had some visa refusals in the past; I had about six UK visa refusals in the past, but thankfully, it was not an issue since the Study Advisor was able to make things work this time. I highly recommend Study Advisor for your dreams of going abroad, whether it be the UK or any other European country there is.