The aim of this study was to investigate how bullied schoolchildren experience solution-focused brief therapy support groups, and to examine how members of the support group experience their participation in the group. An explorative qualitative design, with individual and focus group interviews, was used. The sample consisted of 19…

The outcomes of a school improvement programme were measured in 26 primary schools over one year. Authorised pupil and staff absences and staff turnover decreased, and unauthorised pupil absences significantly increased ("p" < 0.05). Fixed-term exclusions significantly decreased ("p" < 0.001). The self-esteem of 316…

This paper explores how educational psychologists working in a training/consultative way can enable teachers to manage challenging pupil behaviour more effectively. It sets out a rationale which encourages schools to embrace a group based teacher peer-support system as part of regular school development. It then explores the usefulness of the…

Evaluation is a central feature of educational psychologists' (EPs) work. Different evaluation tools have been used in the published literature but a consistent approach is yet to emerge. Informed by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, this research asks what information EPs find meaningful when they evaluate their work. Six EPs working…

Parents of children waiting for a diagnostic assessment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience distress and anxiety while they wait. The present small-scale study took place in a multi-disciplinary therapeutic service in Ireland for children with ASD and was run between April and September 2011. The first author, an educational psychologist…

Clarification of how individuals in different roles perceive the victims and causes of bullying is of great importance to educational research and practice. The present study aimed to investigate the opinions of individuals in different roles (bullies, victims, bystanders, educators) regarding the targets and causes of bullying and to identify…

This paper outlines a study which explored six young Looked-after Children's perceptions of what supports them to learn. The participants were aged between eight and nine years old and lived in the UK. The study adopted semi-structured interviews and notepad diaries as research methods and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as the…

Evaluation of successful professional intervention for two case studies of female adolescents' school refusal behaviour is presented. Data gathered from the young person, professionals, and parents in each case are synthesised to propose a multi-level, ecologically situated model of intervention for school refusal behaviour. The proposed…

This article discusses the quality of professional relationships between educational psychologists (EPs) and other professionals who work around children, young people and their families as part of a multi-agency team (MAT). The perceived barriers to, and facilitators of, effective multi-agency working are explored in relation to their potential…

Inter-professional supervision combines the social processes of supervision and multi-agency working: both complex and often poorly understood processes. This paper discusses the first author's research of inter-professional supervision, involving an educational psychologist (EP) supervising another professional and complements the recently…

Childhood epilepsy is the most common paediatric neurological disorder. It is a condition with a well-documented association with cognitive, behavioural and emotional difficulties. Children with epilepsy are at increased risk of global and specific cognitive impairments. They are also at increased risk for symptoms associated with attention…

This paper explores whether adopting an "executive framework" makes educational psychologists' (EPs) practice more efficient and effective. Whilst many EPs understand and value executive frameworks in theory, explicit use of such tools may not be fully integrated into their day-to-day practice. Why this might be is considered.…

At a time of great change for educational psychology services in England, this paper reviews current theories of leadership and proposes how an integration of key aspects of these can be applied to support a self review of leadership practice, both by individual leaders and by services. The message from current theory is that in the midst of…

Engagement and participation are important for successful outcomes in education, yet disaffection in the UK, according to some exclusion and absence statistics, shows a growing trend. The purpose of this research was to develop a starting point for a theory of children's engagement in education using grounded theory method. Evidence from…

In this paper two premises are set out: first, that within Children's Services educational psychologists (EPs) have a distinctive contribution to make towards policy and practice in relation to "dyslexia"; second, that they may be well placed to lead development work at an organisational level within a local authority. Building on…