England needs 1,400 new educational psychologists

According to The Guardian, research conducted by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) revealed significant regional disparities and chronic shortages among qualified educational psychologists across the country. According to the report, the workforce needs to increase by approximately 40% to improve the current situation and reduce inequalities between regions.

Dr Andrea Honess, chair of the Division of Educational and Child Psychology at the British Psychological Society, stated that rising demand combined with staff shortages is creating serious pressure on many local authorities. She noted that educational psychologists should not only work directly with children and families but also play a strategic role in schools and communities, and these services must be accessible to all schools.

EPI emphasized that educational psychologists are crucial to the government’s planned reforms in special educational needs and disability provision. The institute suggests that the required funding could come from the government’s new £1.8 billion grant programme for local authorities.

The research found that the growing demand is linked to an increase in children with special needs, a lack of adequate support in schools, and some families choosing home education for their children. In addition, rising school absence rates and increasing autism diagnoses are further driving demand for psychologists.

Currently, there are around 3,400 full-time educational psychologists working in England. However, the government funds the training of just over 200 specialists each year, which is insufficient to meet existing needs.

Experts warn that due to heavy workloads and increasing demands, many psychologists are moving into the private sector. Some local authorities have reported receiving no applications at all for advertised vacancies.

Charities have also expressed concern about the situation. They say many families remain on long waiting lists for their children to be assessed, leaving them without the necessary educational support during that time. Experts believe that while the planned investment is a positive step, additional measures will be needed to fully address the current shortage.