Educational psychologist
Help children and young people with problems in learning, additional support needs or emotional behavioural issues.
About the job
What it's like
You would help children and young people with problems in a number of areas such as learning, additional support needs, social, emotional or behavioural issues.
Your work would involve improving young people’s life chances by finding solutions to support their learning and wellbeing.
The role includes working with young people alongside parents and carers, teachers, social work and health services to make sure young people get the best help.
Typical tasks might include:
working with teachers, parents and other professionals to understand what a child needs and decide on the best approach
observe and assess the child if needed
help develop a solution matching the needs of the child
run projects to promote healthy learning and socialising amongst young people
train teaching staff working with children in need of extra support
carry out research and develop policy
You would be employed in the public sector, but some private sector posts are available.
It would be important to be able to deal with pressure. You may have to keep calm in stressful situations.
Hours
You would work 35 hours, Monday to Friday. There may be some meetings outside of these hours.
Environment
You would work in an office and a variety of educational settings.
Travel
You will need to travel to meet children and attend meetings in schools and other offices. A driving licence is desirable.
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- psychology
- educational psychology
- social work
- early intervention
- service delivery models
- language integrated query
- diversity and inclusion
- british sign language (bsl)
- strategic prioritization
- job evaluation
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- motivating others
- developing a plan
- empathising
- questioning
- observation
- verbal communication
- listening
- supporting
- building relationships
- reflecting
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
English
Psychology
Foundation Apprenticeship: Social Services and Healthcare
Foundation Apprenticeship: Social Services Children and Young People
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
Becoming an educational psychologist in Scotland involves taking a postgraduate training route.
To start training as an educational psychologist you will need:
a Psychology Degree (SCQF Level 10) accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS)
Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the BPS. Your accredited degree will qualify you for membership. If you don't have a BPS accredited degree you can gain membership by completing an accredited conversion course
With GBC Membership you can start your postgraduate training.
You will need to complete three years of postgraduate study to Doctoral level with supervised work placements (SCQF Level 12). The postgraduate training includes:
a BPS accredited Master of Science in Educational Psychology (Scotland). This is a two-year full-time professional training programme
a year of supervised placement with a BPS accredited psychological service in Scotland
completion of the BPS’s Qualification in Educational Psychology (Scotland) Stage 2
Your postgraduate study will qualify for the BPS's Chartered status and allow you to register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Only when you have registered with the HCPC can you start work as an educational psychologist.
You must be a UK or EU resident to undertake postgraduate study in this area. Courses aren’t currently open to students outside the EU.
You may also consider membership of the Scottish Division of Educational Psychology.
Before training as an educational psychologist, you will need experience working with children, young people and their families. Examples of relevant experience include work as a teacher or teaching assistant, social work assistant, residential child care officer, community education worker, youth club worker, literacy tutor, assistant psychologist (clinical or educational), research assistant, and careers adviser.
Each university will specify a minimum length of relevant experience. Typically, this ranges from one to two years.
All successful applicants are subject to a Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme check prior to starting the programme.
You will be eligible for membership of the British Psychological Society.
You will also need to register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as an Educational Psychologist.
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