How does educational psychology respond to the government’s policy of austerity?
Rationale for the day
There is mounting evidence that the Government’s policy to address the national financial deficit through a
radical reduction in welfare benefits is leading to a significant increase in the numbers of children and young
people being raised in poverty, however defined. Equally well established is the close link between poverty
and educational under-achievement and higher incidence of mental health difficulties.
How does educational psychology respond to the government’s
policy of austerity?
Tuesday 19th April 2016
This LE Day asks the question “How should educational psychology be responding to the consequences of a
national policy of economic austerity?” There is a distinction to be made between the personal response
(which may be political) and the professional one which involves acquiring knowledge of the evidence on
the psychological impact of low socioeconomic status and the most effective forms of educational and
psychological intervention in a context of significantly reduced resources.
The aims of this LE Day are:
1. To present current evidence on the cognitive and social impact of being a child in a poor family
2. To identify interventions which have had demonstrable impact with minimal resource
requirements
3. To enable all participants to develop an assertive and positive professional response to the
challenges presented by austerity to schools, children, young people and families.
The first half of the day will highlight current research which investigates the psychological and social
consequences of poverty. The afternoon will start with a presentation from the Education Endowment
Foundation on school and classroom initiatives that have a demonstrable impact in tackling low achievement
of pupils from low socioeconomic status families. It will continue with a panel discussion of the kinds of
response that are potentially open to EPs.
Attendees at the conference who are working for an LA or other organisation are requested to come with
answers to the following two questions:
1. Does your organisation have an anti-poverty strategy?
2. In what ways have you or your service been involved in (a) developing it and (b) responding to it?
About the contributors:
Jennifer Sheehy-Skeffington Jennifer is Assistant Professor of Social Psychology at the LSE and visiting
researcher to the Department of Psychology at the University of Oslo. Her research interest focuses on the
development of a conceptual and empirical framework for the psychology of low socioeconomic status
which builds on insights from sociology, public health and behavioural economics. She is particularly
interested in the cognitive consequences of scarcity, specifically in information processing style, decrease in
perceived personal control and sense of power.
Sherria Hoskins Sherria has been the Head of Psychology at Portsmouth University since 2009. Her current
research takes a social cognitive approach to understanding how learner’s beliefs (e.g. implicit and selftheories) impact their learning behaviour (e.g. resilience, motivation, approach to learning and decision
making) and academic outcomes. She is specifically interested in whether we can influence those beliefs to
positively impact learning expectations, behaviour and outcomes.
James Richardson James is senior analyst at the Education Endowment Foundation. The EEF is an
independent grant-making charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational
achievement, ensuring that children from all backgrounds can fulfil their potential and make the most of
their talents. He joined the EEF in September 2013 after ten years working in schools as a teacher, Head of
Faculty and Assistant Headteacher.
Programme
9:00
Registration and coffee
9:30
Welcome and introduction
Dr Roger Booker, Educational Psychology Group, UCL
9:50
A framework for the psychology of low economic status
Dr Jennifer Sheehy-Skeffington, London School of Economics
11:00
Break
11:30
Changing Mindsets. A potential route to overcoming the poverty
stereotype threat
Dr Sherria Hoskins, University of Portsmouth
12:45
Lunch
1:45
Using evidence to inform teaching
James Richardson, Education Endowment Foundation
3:00
Panel and plenary discussion
4:00
Concluding comments
Dr Tony Cline, Educational Psychology Group, UCL
4:15
Finish
Continuing Professional Development in Educational Psychology
How does educational psychology respond to the government’s policy of
austerity?
University College London
Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology
Tuesday 19th April 2016
Application Form
How does educational psychology respond to the government’s
policy of austerity?
Course fee: £120
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Lower Ground Lecture Theatre
Department of Psychology
University College London
26 Bedford Way
London
WC1H 0AP
Closing date for applications is Monday 28th March 2016
Applications should be sent to:
Educational Psychology Group, UCL, 26 Bedford Way,
London WC1H 0AP. (Fax: 020 7679 5354 Email: edadmin@ucl.ac.uk)
Please telephone 020 7679 5545 with any enquiries
Cancellation policy: If a cancellation is made on or before Wednesday
registration fee will be refunded. After this date, no refunds can be made.
13th
April 2016, then 80% of the
Developing the Educational and Child Psychology Profession