"Educational Psychologists in every school would significantly reduce lost learning days," says BPS

Having an Educational Psychologist based in every school would significantly reduce the number of lost learning days, according to the BPS, after new research revealed more children than ever are not in school.

Responding to the Institute for Public Policy Research and charity Difference report, Dr Helena Bunn, Chair of the Division of Educational and Child Psychology at the British Psychological Society, said:

"As educational psychologists we regularly work with young people on methods and techniques to remain in school and get the best educational outcomes possible. 

"One of the contributing factors to there being so many lost learning days for pupils is schools and local communities do not have readily available access to an educational psychologist. It is encouraging therefore to see Haringey Learning Partnership highlighted in this report, whose team has an educational psychologist on-site for any child who needs them. Such initiatives should be common across the country.

"Government can reverse this worrying trend of increased school absences by ensuring every school has a named educational psychologist based in their local authority, providing services free at the point of delivery. The educational psychologists should be part of multi-disciplinary teams that serve the schools and local communities, thus allowing educational psychologists to have the biggest impact for the young people they work with, collaborating in partnership with colleagues in education, health, and social care."