Quote reads: Estimates show in some local authority areas there is one Educational Psychologist for every 480 pupils. Others have just one EP for every 9,400. The Education Policy Institute research funded by the BPS. Photo of a professional using sign language to communicate with a child in a school playground. BPS logo.

Government must address chronic shortage of Educational Psychologists as provision gap leaves some pupils 20 times less likely to get support.

New BPS funded @edupolicyinst.bsky.social research reveals stark disparity in levels of EP provision 👉 www.bps.org.uk/news/chronic...

#PsychologyMatters

Educational psychologists in England - Education Policy Institute Educational psychologists (EP) support the wellbeing and development of young people up to age 25. Working alongside parents, teachers, and other professionals, they identify and address learning or b...

Without urgent capacity expansion, the sector faces a cycle of attrition, rising costs, and a failure to deliver on the government's SEND inclusion goals.

Read the full report here: epi.org.uk/publications...

English councils need to hire 1,400 more educational psychologists, says report Rising demand from children with special needs means the £140m required could come from government grants

EPI's latest report, commissioned by @bpsofficial.bsky.social, reveals a chronic shortage of Educational Psychologists across England, with a 20-fold disparity in access between areas: some have one EP for every 480 pupils. Others just one for every 9,400.

Does the government's new guidance on screen time for under-5s meet the needs of parents, carers, and children? - Education Policy Institute ⏱️ Estimated Read: 4 minToday, the government published guidance on screen time for under-5s. It is published online on the ‘Best Start in Life parent hub’ – the emergent digital offering intentionall...

Today, the government published guidance on screen time for under-5s. EPI's Director for Early Years, Inequalities and Wellbeing @drtammycampbell.bsky.social asks: does it meet the needs of parents, carers, and children?

Building an effective school system - Education Policy Institute ⏱️ Estimated Read: 2 minSchool groups are a key feature of the school system in England and understanding what makes them effective is critical for delivering system-wide improvement. Beginning in 202...

How do we build an effective and inclusive school system? A new summary paper from EPI and Capita brings together insights from policymakers, school leaders, and sector experts - examining SEND reform, workforce retention, funding, and accountability.

epi.org.uk/publications...

72% of infants have daily screen time, UK study finds Nearly three in four (72%) nine-month-old babies have at least some screen time each day, a study has found.

Nearly three in four (72%) nine-month-old babies have at least some screen time each day, a UK study has found.

Three-quarters of nine-month-olds in England have ‘daily screen time’ Study shows average time on screens each day is 41 minutes, with some watching more than three hours a day Three-quarters of nine-month-old babies in England are allowed daily screen time, while a small “heavy use” group watch more than three hours a day, according to a study. Just 2% of the infants included in the research reportedly watched more than three hours a day, while the average amount of time was 41 minutes, research by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) found. Continue reading...

Three-quarters of nine-month-olds in England have ‘daily screen time’

Babies and screen time: Recent evidence from the national Children of the 2020s cohort study - Education Policy Institute ⏱️ Estimated Read: 11 minWhich babies are more likely to experience screen time? Among those who watch, who watches the most? And how does using screens interplay with other home activities? Our analy...

Screen time for under‑fives is a hot topic for policymakers, parents and researchers. New EPI analysis shows how common, and how intensive, screen use is during a crucial stage of infant development, highlighting how the home environment shapes early screen exposure.

Five charts that explain the rise in NEET rates - Education Policy Institute ⏱️ Estimated Read: 5 minNew data from the Department for Education (DfE) released today shows that the share of 16–24-year-olds in England who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) remai...

DfE data shows the share of 16–24-year-olds in England who are NEET remains high. One in eight young people are not in the education system or labour market. New EPI analysis shows NEET rates have returned to post-financial crisis levels.

epi.org.uk/publications...

What should student finance reform look like? - Education Policy Institute ⏱️ Estimated Read: 6 minIn Tuesday’s Spring Forecast, the government chose not to make further changes to the student finance system, following weeks of cross-party debate on what should be done to ad...

The gov't opted against student finance changes in the Spring Forecast, despite ongoing debate over growing debt and the precarious state of the HE sector.

@rcruikshanks.bsky.social and @davidrobinsonedu.bsky.social argue 3 core principles must guide reform:

1️⃣ Sustainability
2️⃣ Equity
3️⃣ Clarity

"Workforce projections built around aggregate numbers say nothing about whether experienced staff are reaching the schools that need them most."

EPI's @jzuccollo.bsky.social on the DfE's workforce modelling.

“There are severe shortages nationally, with provision varying enormously across local authorities... far more people want to train as EPs than there are funded places available.”

EPI's @jzuccollo.bsky.social spoke to @ktorm-social1.bsky.social about the gov't's experts at hand plan.

Ambition in the schools white paper is clear, but its success will depend on the detail still to come and on support that extends beyond schools themselves. Delivering change will require coordinated action across services.

Read EPI’s response to the white paper: epi.org.uk/comments/epi...

“Without substantial increases in the number of funded training places each year, there will not be enough educational psychologists available to staff these services.”

In the Guardian today, @jojohutchinson.bsky.social comments on the govt's SEND reform plans ahead of the schools white paper.

EPI think tank appoints new chief executive Julie McCulloch, currently senior director of strategy at ASCL, replaces Natalie Perera, who stepped down at the end of January

@edupolicyinst.bsky.social has appointed a new chief executive, who will take over at the think tank in May

Julie McCulloch appointed EPI Chief Executive - Education Policy Institute ⏱️ Estimated Read: 2 min The Education Policy Institute (EPI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Julie McCulloch as its new Chief Executive. Julie will take up the position at the beginning of ...

EPI is pleased to announce the appointment of @juliemcculloch.bsky.social as its new Chief Executive. Julie will take up the role at the beginning of May.

epi.org.uk/comments/jul...

Teacher recruitment and retention | Senedd Full details of the issue Teacher recruitment and retention

EPI’s analysis and expertise fed into an important report from the @senedd.wales Children, Young People & Education Committee on teacher recruitment and retention.

It underscores the need to match teachers’ dedication with a system that fully supports them: business.senedd.wales/mgIssueHisto...

"If we build it – a stronger team around the child that doesn’t require an EHCP – they will come, and EHCPs will gradually revert to being a less frequently required backstop."

Read @jojohutchinson.bsky.social on SEND reform and the schools white paper: epi.org.uk/publications...

A split-screen graphic. On the left, a photo of a child wearing an orange backpack pressing the button at a pedestrian crossing. On the right, text on a light blue background reads: 'Comment: Securing real SEND progress in the Schools White Paper' by Jo Hutchinson. A banner at the bottom says 'Read the comment piece on epi.org.uk' next to a QR code.

With the schools white paper imminent, EPI’s @jojohutchinson.bsky.social lays out the case for an approach that balances fiscal reality with strategic vision - prioritising visible improvements to the experience of children and their families.

Full comment piece here: epi.org.uk/publications...

How are MATs using AI across teaching, learning, and administration?

Our latest report - supported by @nuffieldfoundation.org - finds that limited evidence on AI’s impact leaves multi‑academy trusts navigating a “wild west” market.

Read the full report: epi.org.uk/publications...

"We need to ensure children with SEND and mental health difficulties feel they belong in the mainstream system, while also securing adequate specialist places for those with the most complex needs."

EPI's @jojohutchinson.bsky.social spoke to Sky about the concerning rise in elective home education.

Insightful reporting from @jabedahmed.bsky.social w/ commentary from EPI's @jzuccollo.bsky.social:

"Teacher salaries are remarkably uniform across most of England, whereas housing costs are anything but. The current pay structure doesn’t capture the reality and disparity of local housing markets."

New exploratory analysis examined behaviour policies from 45 state schools across three London boroughs.

We found that written policies vary in ways that align, to an extent, with outcomes linked to pupil wellbeing.

Read the full analysis: epi.org.uk/publications...

- Is our curriculum unusually overloaded?
- What does a supportive accountability system look like?
- Does anyone get better bang for their buck out of their SEND system?
...now, thanks to @nuffieldfoundation.org's support, there's somewhere you can go to get the answers. www.ces.partners

What does the reliance on private providers in early education and care mean for children in England?

Dr Tammy Campbell analyses the latest DfE statistics to ask if this shift is desirable for public spending and children's experiences.

Read the full blog: epi.org.uk/publications...

A graphic featuring a black and white photo of Dr. Kerris Cooper, Senior Researcher, Early Years and Inequalities at the Education Policy Institute. Next to her photo is a quote that reads: “Efforts to tackle the disadvantage gap in education will only be successful within a wider effort to address the causes and effects of poverty. It is extremely positive that the Child Poverty Strategy recognises and begins to tackle the appalling numbers of children living in insecure temporary accommodation. Along with the lifting of the two-child limit, this directly addresses some of the unacceptable conditions children have experienced over the past decade.” A footer encourages viewers to read the full response on epi.org.uk.

"Efforts to tackle the disadvantage gap in education will only be successful within a wider effort to address the causes and effects of poverty."

Read EPI's response to the Government's Child Poverty Strategy: epi.org.uk/comments/epi...

New from EPI: a summary paper on EdTech decision-making and inclusive practice. Drawing on roundtables with policymakers, education leaders, and MAT representatives, this paper offers a synthesis of expert insights on navigating the complex EdTech landscape.

Full paper: epi.org.uk/publications...

Teachers fear raid on school budgets to fund special needs reform Union threatens strike action and says that any fall in school spending would have a ‘catastrophic’ impact on pupils

"Raiding mainstream funding creates a twofold risk: it undermines the capacity to deliver the very inclusion reforms the government wants while simultaneously compromising current provision."

EPI comment on the Budget & SEND reform and funding in @thetimes.com

www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

The World Tonight - Government backtracks on day-one unfair dismissal right - BBC Sounds Government U-turns on manifesto promise to give workers immediate unfair dismissal right

What does the Budget mean for SEND funding and provision?

EPI's Chief Executive Natalie Perera spoke to The World Tonight about SEND reform and why expecting costs to be absorbed by existing school budgets is unrealistic.

🎧 Listen back (35:20): www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Warning of £20bn timebomb as Reeves switches Send funding in England to education department Councils welcome move but OBR says it is a significant fiscal risk and could lead to 4.9% real fall in spending per pupil

Read EPI's response to the Budget in the Guardian today: www.theguardian.com/education/20...