Chronic Shortage of Educational Psychologists Could Derail Special Needs Reforms
A "chronic shortage" of educational psychologists poses a significant threat to government ambitions for more inclusive mainstream schools for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), a new report has warned. Research conducted by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) uncovered stark disparities across the country, revealing that some areas are served by just one educational psychologist for every 480 pupils. This critical shortfall is even more pronounced in the worst-affected regions, where the ratio plummets to a single educational psychologist for every 9,400 pupils.
Urgent Warning from Education Leaders
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, emphasised the urgency of the findings, stating the report "is a timely warning of a critical issue that could derail the Government’s plans for Send reform." He called for ministers to take immediate action to address the staffing gap. James Zuccollo, director for school workforce at EPI, said the report "highlights a stark reality: we cannot deliver the Government’s goal of inclusive mainstream education while the educational psychologist workforce remains critically under-resourced."
Educational psychologists work with teachers, parents and other professionals to address barriers pupils face to learning, or behavioural barriers, and are part of making sure children facing difficulties get the right support to succeed emotionally and academically. The Government set out a raft of reforms to the Send system in February, saying it would become more inclusive for those with additional needs.
Critical Staffing Shortfalls and Funding Gaps
EPI’s research found official data on educational psychologists undercounts by about a third – but said the estimated 1,300 full-time staff missed off are not evenly distributed where there are gaps. The report estimated 1,400 extra psychologists would be needed to bring the 96 local authorities that do not have enough up to the right level – a 40% increase that would cost an estimated £140 million.
Previous surveys from the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the Association of Educational Psychologists have also warned that if about 10% of the workforce leaves each year – about 350 staff – the workforce must also replace them first before it can grow. Despite this, in 2025/26, only just over 200 government-funded training places were available.
Government Initiatives and Expert Concerns
As part of the Send reforms, the Government has announced £1.8 billion to create a bank of Send specialists and experts in every area. Mr Zuccollo said: "The £1.8 billion Experts at Hand programme provides a welcome framework, but its sufficiency is entirely dependent on a stable EP pipeline. Given the length of specialist training required, the Government’s three-year delivery timeline is at risk without additional investment to reach adequate staffing levels."
He added: "Continuing to fund training for only 200 EPs each year will not be enough to adequately support children’s needs. A relatively modest investment of around £140 million would allow EPs to work more effectively to improve outcomes and break the cycle of burnout and attrition that currently threatens the service."
Calls for Action and Systemic Improvements
Dr Andrea Honess, chairwoman of the BPS’s division of educational and child psychology, said local authorities are more likely to report better outcomes for children where educational psychologist staffing is higher than the national average. All schools should have a named link local authority educational psychologist, she added.
"The Government’s proposals set out in the schools white paper have the potential to reduce inconsistency, improve early support and strengthen confidence in the system for families and professionals alike," Dr Honess said. "Educational psychologists are ready to play a leading role in this next phase of Send reform, but we can only be effective if there are enough of us in the system to provide the vital support required."
Paul Whiteman, general secretary at the NAHT school leaders’ union, said the Government must support the funding for experts with the money needed to boost specialist availability. The report underscores a pressing need for strategic investment and workforce planning to ensure that SEND reforms can be successfully implemented without being compromised by staffing shortages.
