Introduction

The educational psychology professional entry training in England is a three year full time doctorate degree. The courses generally consist of a first year spent studying full time. In the second and third years trainees work in a local authority as a trainee educational psychologist, with one to two days study per week.

Recruitment for the 2012 intake of trainees is now open!

In March 2011, the Department for Education (DfE) announced that it would be conducting a review of Educational Psychology entry training. On 10 November 2011, the review report was published. To view the full review report, please click here. The review recommended that contracts should be awarded to the current training providers for a cohort of trainees to begin training in 2012. Contracts have now been awarded and the recruitment timetable for the 2012 cohort is below.

120 training places will be available in total, split across 12 universities. For details about the number of training places available at each individual university and how to apply, please refer to the applicant handbook.  

To access the online application website, please click here

Recruitment timetable

* For applicants who have requested all of their references or received all of their references by 2pm on Friday 3^rd February. If you have not requested an academic and an experience reference by 2pm on Friday 3^rd February, you will not be able to progress with your application. 

 ** Training providers will shortlist applications by 9 March 2012 at the latest. All interviews will be held by 20 April 2012 at the latest. For information on exact shortlisting and interviewing dates, please contact the training provider(s) you are applying to directly as the dates may vary between universities.

Online application website

The application process for funded training places takes place online. You can access the online application website here or type http://ep-application.cwdcouncil.org.uk into your internet browser.

Funding

The funding scheme includes a bursary for year 1 and fees for all three years. Currently, the bursary levels are:

• £14,400 outside London
• £14,900 inside London

Please note: the bursary is tax free and paid by CWDC directly to the trainee in monthly instalments.

Fee levels vary between training providers. These are paid by CWDC directly to the training providers.

Application criteria

It is preferred that applicants have a 2.1 or above in a first psychology-based degree that grants them eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society (BPS). For those of you who do not have a first degree in psychology, it is possible to take a conversion course which also grants GBC. More information is available on the BPS website.

If you have a 2.2 then your application may still  be considered, dependent on further academic qualifications and high quality experience.

You will also need at least one year's relevant experience of working with children and young people. Please check directly with the training provider exactly how much experience they ask for. This can include roles such as assistant educational psychologist, teacher, SEN co-ordinator, classroom / learning assistant or research activity with children and young people. Other relevant experience is also considered.

Work experience from abroad is valuable, however working knowledge of the UK education system is desirable.

You must be ordinarily resident in the UK at the time you apply. Funding is given with the expectation that trainees will continue to work in a local authority or equivalent for a minimum of two years after graduating from the three year course (in total a five year minimum commitment). Applicants must be eligible to work in the UK. For further information about UK residency, please go to the Home Office website.

Course information for England

Below is a list of the training providers offering Educational Psychology training courses in England beginning in September 2011.

For more information about individual courses, please click on the training provider names below.

England

East midlands
University of Nottingham

North east
Newcastle University

North west
University of Manchester

South east, east and London
Institute of Education, University of London
Tavistock & Portman NHS Trust
University College London
University of East London
University of Southampton

South west
Bristol University and Exeter University

West midlands
University of Birmingham

Yorkshire and the Humber
Sheffield University

Self-funders

Some training providers offer self-funded training places. For details about self-funded training places please contact the training provider directly.

Use of data

The Data Protection Act gives an applicant the right to access the data we hold in relation to that individual. However, the act also gives us a duty of confidentiality to third parties which includes referees. In the event that an individual requests to see a reference, we will first seek the referee's permission.

We will use anonymous equal opportunities and application data to monitor the profile of applicants and successful candidates. These data reports will be shared with training providers and employers and may be used in our progress and evaluation reports.

.