The changing landscape of special educational needs and disability legislation
and procedures: Implications for educational psychologists
Programme Summary
In the context of wider educational reforms across the education system, including the national
curriculum reform, changes to funding systems and the diversification of educational settings,
the special educational needs and disability landscape is undeniably changing. Once again
there is an opportunity for educational psychologists to actively shape the future contribution
that they and psychology can play, not least through the various SEND Pathfinders that are
taking place across England. A succession of reviews, reports and draft legislation has begun to
set out key themes for this changed landscape, including: an emphasis on better connected
planning for children and young people aged from 0 to 25 years of age with complex SEND; the
development of effective child and family centred practices; clarity over what resources and
provision are locally available; personalised budgets; support for parents when things don't go
well; and, questions about the over-identification of children with SEND in some schools.
The objectives of this leading edge psychology day are:
 to assist participants in better understanding and engaging with the context of wider
educational reform and the changing SEND landscape
 to promote reflection upon what can be learnt from current experiences on Pathfinder
Projects
 to stimulate consideration of where EPs’ efforts in the future might be best located.
About the keynote speakers:
André Imich has been working for the DfE since April 2010, in the role of SEN and Disability
Professional Adviser. He works on a range of policy developments and is currently engaged on
the implementation of the next steps of the Green Paper. Amongst many other things, he also
worked as an adviser to the Lamb Inquiry into parental confidence.
Dr John Oates is Senior Lecturer in Psychology at The Open University and Visiting Professor
of Developmental Psychology at the University College Plymouth St Mark and St John. He has
been academic consultant to the OU/BBC Child of Our Time series since 2001. His research
focus is on social development in early childhood and one of his most recent publications is as
co-editor with Annette Karmiloff-Smith and Mark Johnson of Developing Brains. (2012, Early
Childhood in Focus, 7. The Open University). He was a consultant author for the Early Years
Foundation Stage Development Matters and has worked for many years in the Early Support
programme for disabled children and their families. He is leading a workstream in the Early
Support programme to extend and revise the Early Years Developmental Journal revision of the
Journal to cover the years of schooling.
Michael Cotton has been an educational psychologist for 30 years working in Cleveland
County as a generic, specialist and then senior EP. He became Principal EP in Redcar and
Cleveland, and joined North Yorkshire as Principal EP in 2003, managing about 50 EPs, early
years’ teachers and Portage home visitors. He drafted North Yorkshire’s successful special
educational needs and disability Pathfinder bid and is now seconded to lead this work.
Dr Julia Katherine is a Service Manager within Children’s Services and Learning for
Southampton City Council and Principal Educational Psychologist for the Isle of Wight and
Southampton Psychology Service. She is joint lead for the Southampton SEND Pathfinder and,
in particular, is leading on the design and implementation of the integrated assessment model.
As part of this work Julia attends the DFE Integrated Assessment Policy Working Group.
The changing landscape of special educational needs and disability legislation
and procedures: Implications for educational psychologists
Wednesday 18 April 2013
Programme
09.00
Registration and Coffee
09.30
Welcome and Introduction
Dr Phil Stringer, Educational Psychology Group, CPD Professional Doctorate
programme in Educational Psychology, UCL
9.45
André Imich, DfE
Delivering Educational Psychology Services within a Changing Context
10.30
Questions and discussion
11.00
Morning break
11.30
Dr John Oates, Open University
Supporting developmental progress in children and young people with SEND
12.30
Questions and discussion
12.45
Lunch
1.45
Michael Cotton, North Yorkshire County Council
Special Educational Needs and Disability Pathfinder - what's that got to do with
me?
2.30
Questions and discussion
2.40
Dr Julia Katherine, Southampton City Council
Integrated assessment and the single education, health and care plan: What
role for EPs?
3.25
Questions and discussion
3.35
Participant discussion (to include a comfort break)
4.00
Panel discussion in response to participant reactions
04.25
Closing remarks
Dr Roger Booker, Educational Psychology Group, CPD Professional
Doctorate programme in Educational Psychology, UCL
04.30
End of Leading-edge day.
Continuing Professional Development in Educational Psychology
The changing landscape of special educational needs and disability legislation
and procedures: Implications for educational psychologists
Thursday 18 April 2013
University College London
Department of Clinical, Educational and Health
Psychology
The changing landscape of special educational needs and disability legislation
and procedures: Implications for educational psychologists
Application Form
Course Fee: £100.00
Cheque enclosed (made payable to UCL)
Please invoice my LA – Include purchase order number:________________
PLEASE COMPLETE IN BLOCK CAPITALS
Lower Ground Lecture Theatre
Applicant's Full Name ……………………………… Daytime Tel ......................................
LA / Organisation……………………………………. Post Held …………………………..
Department of Psychology
Email address:………………………………………………………………………………….
University College London
Applicant's Contact Address …………………………………………………………………..
26 Bedford Way
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Invoice Address if different from above ……………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
London
WC1H 0AP
Signed ……………………………………………… Date ………………………………….
Closing date for applications is Monday 8 April 2013
Applications should be sent to:
Educational Psychology Group, UCL, 26 Bedford Way,
London WC1H 0AP. (Fax: 020 7679 5354)
Please telephone 020 7679 5307 with any enquiries
Cancellation policy: If a cancellation is made on or before Friday 5 April 2013, then 80% of
the registration fee will be refunded. After this date, no refunds can be made.
Developing the Educational and Child Psychology Profession