Practical Educational Psychology Support in Schools
The Valuing Minds approach to working in schools is all about providing practical support for pupils and staff at all stages in their careers.
We are able to bring our skills, knowledge and experience from both the education and business psychology sectors to schools. The element that links all of these together is our understanding that every single organisation we work with has its own needs.
Whilst these needs can often be summarised under similar titles, we work closely with schools, colleges, early years providers and academies to create the support senior leadership teams, their staff and the young people in their care actually need at the time.
Like anything else we do, it’s all about working in partnership to create the best possible outcomes for everyone.
Examples of how we can help include:
Regular Consultations in Schools
Whether this is on a weekly, monthly, termly or other regular basis, these sessions can be used to discuss issues and pupils causing concern as well as to meet with parents and pupils. Planning the sessions in advance means that the time can be used to best effect. The regular nature of the visits allows staff and the Valuing Minds’ educational psychologist to build up a relationship over time, increasing the effectiveness of the sessions.
As part of this we also offer support and assessments of looked after children.
Educational Psychologist Referrals
If you have a concern about a specific student’s progress, their social skills, behaviour or any other aspect of their development, we are happy to accept referrals on a one-off basis.
Following consultation with the teacher(s) most familiar with the student, we will work with you to develop a way forward, which would typically involve an interview with the parent(s) or carer(s), a session with the young person themselves, some form of assessment, if appropriate, and the provision of a report outlining clear recommendations and actions.
Help with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and reviews
Collecting the information for EHCPs can be a time-consuming business. We can help by conducting a comprehensive assessment of a pupils’ strengths and needs. We can then support the collation of information to help inform decisions about a child or young person’s future.
EHCP reviews can be a paper-driven exercise, but this needn’t be the case. At Valuing Minds, we believe that reviews provide an ideal opportunity to put the young person at the heart of the process and ensure that their needs and aspirations are foremost.
Careful preparation for and involvement of all the key parties in the review process can lead to better quality discussions, improved partnership working and more useful outcomes for everyone involved.
Training & Supporting Teachers
We hear from teachers who feel they have tried everything, feel they don’t know how to help, are supporting children through trauma, being pressured by parents and a myriad of other demands. It’s hard – whether you’re an NQT or have years of experience.
The leadership pressures are there too – league tables, staffing issues due to covid, recruiting and retaining staff, inspiring confidence and working with a constantly moving set of goal posts.
We offer a wide range of training courses for both teachers and support staff in schools. These can cover a range of topics (just tell us which ones and what your current issues are) as part of an INSET day or be focussed for your school and particular requirements. We don’t just come in, deliver a standardised session and leave; we thrive on interaction, curiosity, a healthy dose of realism and adapting what we do on the go so we can really meet your needs.
We also run our Supporting Teachers programme aimed at Senior Leadership Teams in schools because we know it can be lonely at the top – we’ve been there.
The easiest way to find out how we can help and how much it will cost is to contact us and tell us what’s on your mind.