Career story
My main motivation for research is to help to ensure that professional practice in educational psychology effectively addresses important issues in children and young people's lives and education. As a trainer of educational psychologists, I work closely with educational psychologists in the field to develop research commissions for our trainees which focus on pressing issues for children, young people their families and teachers. As educational psychologists in the field are working in their local communities, they have a good understanding of important areas for research. They also actively support the research process and the ongoing application and development of a project once the research has finished. Currently our trainees are working on a wide range of projects designed to enhance children's education, these include developing play in schools, strategies to support school attendance and well-being and promoting social justice and greater inclusion for children with additional needs.
I currently lead a research strand focusing on school attendance. This research began with a commission to develop multi-agency attendance guidance for schools in one local authority with the aim of ensuring consistent support across agencies and shared language and understanding around attendance across the local authority. Two trainees undertook action research with the multi-agency group and the guidance produced has continued to evolve over the last five years and has supported a decrease in school absence across the LA. Other attendance projects we've undertaken have included evaluating how telepresence robots can be used to support children and young people re-engage with school and how to support parents of children who are severely absent.
Our attendance projects are also informing national guidance for Educational Psychology Services. This guidance is being produced by a national group of lead educational psychologists and myself, to capture current research and best practice. The guidance aims to inform educational psychologist's thinking and practice when supporting schools to develop their school attendance systems and in their direct work with children and young people who struggle to attend school and their and families.