Aberdeenshire Council Educational Psychology Service Plan 2014-2015

Introduction and Vision This plan sets out our priorities for improvement over the coming year. It is informed by the Education, Learning and Leisure/Education & Children’s Services Plan and contributes to the priorities set out there. The plan also draws on priorities identified by Educational Psychologists through their work over the past year. We have a vision of Aberdeenshire where psychology is at the heart of learning and teaching, enabling all children and young people to develop the skills and confidence to achieve beyond expectations.

The strategic objectives of the Educational Psychology Service are:

• to raise attainment and achievement of all children and young people

• to improve outcomes for vulnerable and disadvantaged children and young people To raise these objectives psychologists work across all areas of education, at the levels of the individual child and family, the school and the education authority. All work includes the intention to build the capacity of schools to raise attainment for all and improve outcomes for disadvantaged learners. Partnership working with children and young people, parents and carers, school staff and professionals from other agencies is crucial to ensure the work of the service is relevant, effective, efficient and sustainable. Challenges The implementation of a new model of enhanced provision presents both opportunities and challenges. The Educational Psychology Service contributes to the development of new Community Resource Hubs, and also works to strengthen inclusive practices in all schools so that they meet a wide range of additional support needs.

The next 3-5 years will see increased pressures on local authority funding. It will be important for the Educational Psychology Service to focus on work that has the greatest impact, so there is a challenge to gather and carefully analyse robust self-evaluative data to inform future service planning. Opportunities The restructuring to form Education and Children’s Services provides opportunities to work more closely with other officers supporting school improvement, and to strengthen partnerships with Social Work colleagues. We have a strong team of psychologists, highly skilled, motivated and professional. Research in educational psychology and related disciplines has produced an increasingly strong and accessible evidence base of what works to improve learning. We can extend innovative and effective work carried out by educational psychologists in Aberdeenshire, for example in working with parents to support their children’s cognitive development in the early years. Psychologists work closely with schools and communities, identifying and addressing local issues related to the priorities for the service. Priorities for 2014 – 2017

1. Raise achievement and attainment of all children and young people 2. Build capacity for inclusive culture and practice in all schools 3. Improve learning in the early years 4. Strengthen the EPS as an effective learning organisation

Key Objectives and Actions 2014-15 EPS Priority 1: Raise Attainment and Achievement Overview: Anne Wilson Objective Actions Lead Groups Supporting a practitioner enquiry approach to raising attainment in schools

Work with HT mentors to develop a practitioner enquiry course for teachers

Anne Wilson & Fiona Yarrow

Laura Hubbard Stuart Bull Lesley Stewart Anne Wilson Fiona Yarrow Elayne Steel Morag Donaldson Ashley McGregor

Professional development in pilot schools (Dales Park and Aboyne) to explore how Visible Learning can be used to improve learning and teaching.

Anne Wilson (Dales Park) & Stuart Bull (Aboyne)

Leadership programme for secondary school managers with a focus on Visible Learning research

Work with HT mentors to develop a leadership programme based on Visible Learning with an aim to raise attainment;

• Professional Reading programme

• Support managers to develop the use of evidence into practice throughout their school through workshops on leadership

Anne Wilson & Fiona Yarrow

Learning to Learn – supporting to children to talk about their own learning through the development of cognitive skills

Work with a group of EPs to map out how MLE and Cognitive Approaches articulate with John Hattie’s work and how we can develop these links in schools

Elayne Steel

Key Objectives and Actions 2014-15 EPS Priority 2: Build capacity for inclusive culture and practice in all schools Overview: Louise Goodall Objective Actions Lead Groups Support the implementation of the Enhanced Provision model

Evaluation of key strengths of the Enhanced Provision model

Claire Loynd & Jan Foot

Carron Douglas

Support pilot for Specific Language Impairment provision

Lesley Stewart Morag Donaldson Anne Wilson

Support delivery of training on Flexible Learning Pathways

Carron Douglas

Support schools to improve systems and re-focus on best learning environment for all children and young people by providing training in dyslexia

Revise Pathways to Policy guidance and update website

Helen McKay Louise Goodall Fionna Shaw Paddy McPherson Deliver further dyslexia training

Helen McKay

Develop framework for cascading whole school environment training

Helen McKay

Use VIG and VERP to develop wider focus on communication skills with multi agency partners

Negotiate role with Social work services re involvement in training 32 Family Support Workers as well as evaluation of project

Louise Goodall/ Carolyn Oddie

Elayne Steel

Delivery of nurturing approaches

Support for nurture and development of approach to whole school identified primary and secondary schools Support for schools self-evaluation of nurture approaches

Ruth Muir & Natasha Robinson

Jan Foot Susan Taylor

EPS Priority 3: Improve Learning in the Early Years Overview: Carron Douglas Objective Actions Lead Groups Support Early Years providers to engage with parents to improve early learning experiences of children

Further development of Little Learners Programme, with consideration to long-term sustainability

Paddy McPherson & Jen Sutherland

Helen Mackay

Work with Early Years forums and Early Years Networks to discuss and plan small tests of change using Early Years Collaborative methodology

Moira Deans Stuart Bull Lesley Stewart Anna White

Develop the use of cognitive approaches in the Early Years

Engage with Early Years Lead Officer and Support Officers to discuss EPS contribution to Early Years priorities

Carron Douglas

Support the increased use of cognitive targets within IEPs across Early Years settings

Anna Whyte Ruth Muir Natasha Robinson Laura Hubbard Carron Douglas Anna Whyte Susan Taylor

Support the increased use of Early Years cognitive curriculums

Carron Douglas

Key Objectives and Actions 2014-15 EPS Priority 4: Strengthen the EPS as an Effective Learning Organisation Overview: Fiona Yarrow Objective Actions Lead Groups Collective approach to service self-evaluation

Devise and implement systems to ensure the full range of EPS work has evaluation embedded

Fiona Yarrow Anne Wilson Carron Douglas Louise Goodall

Collate & analyse data on the impact of formal consultation

Ashley McGregor Sanne Mogensen Ashley McGregor

Plan and implement robust evaluation of informal consultation

Sanne Mogensen

Develop framework for collating and analysing evaluations of supporting professional development and project work

Morag Donaldson Fionna Shaw Morag Donaldson Moira Deans

Strengthen cycle of self-evaluation and planning Fiona Yarrow

Anne Wilson Carron Douglas Louise Goodall

Develop strategy for involving stakeholders in service planning

Stuart Bull Anne Wilson Carron Douglas Louise Goodall

Enhanced reflective practice

Provide training for all EPs in use of Video Enhanced Reflective Practice

Louise Goodall Carolyn Oddie

Elayne Steel