This article explores the perspectives of educational psychologists across England with regard to their professional involvement, role and contribution to special schools for children and young people with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD). An online survey was distributed to all educational psychology services in England and to private educational psychology practices. Data collected from 207 respondents were analysed using descriptive statistics and quantitative and qualitative content analysis. The findings suggest a complex national picture, including great variation in the frequency of educational psychology visits and indirect contact with the special schools. While the work carried out by educational psychologists in these special schools is primarily individual, statutory‐led casework, systemic work is considered to be the ‘ideal’ contribution. Educational psychologists’ views on their role in PMLD settings seem to feature limited ideas. The authors suggest that improving educational psychologists’ skills and knowledge of PMLD, building relationships with special schools and finding a niche in supporting, among other things, the emotional well‐being of the school’s community, might be ways forward for working in PMLD schools. The article concludes by emphasising the continued need for the profession to understand and market the specific role it can play in PMLD settings.

While transition from primary to secondary school is an exhaustively researched area, there is limited research into how the ideas and insights of children, particularly those with Special Educational Needs (SEN), could inform or guide successful school transition planning. The current article presents the final stage of an action research project in which a transition intervention was designed by students in collaboration with their schools and educational psychology services. The intervention, ‘My New School’, was initially piloted in an inner‐city primary school in England (see Bunn, Davis and Speed 2017) and since has developed into a working tool for several other schools. Children's views, alongside those of school staff, were used to inform the final design of ‘My New School’ intervention. The article explores findings from analysing the participating children and school staff, alongside relevant literature, and final discussions and implications for practice conclude.

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This article discusses the process and results of a junior school initiative from a local authority in the East of England, to ensure that vulnerable pupils in the school experience a successful transition to high school. The resulting project is the consequence of an inter-organisational collaboration between the junior school, a secondary school and the local educational psychology service. The transition intervention, which is the first product of this project, was borne from the ideas of year 7 students with special educational needs, which were analysed and presented visually into a transition booklet, later used in the intervention with year 6 pupils. At the end of the intervention, the year 6 pupils provided feedback, which informed first changes in the intervention. Overall, the intervention was successful and because of the interest drawn, it was decided to extend the initiative to other schools with year 6 pupils.

Background. Supporting pupils' social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) development is a task that schools are expected to undertake in England, yet many staff members find it challenging due to their belief that they don't possess the necessary skills.Objective. To evaluate a commercially available, training resource, The Wellbeing Toolkit, aimed at raising the skills of adults working with children in the SEMH area.Design. The Toolkit was adapted and used as training material by a professional team comprised of educational psychologists, clinical psychologists, and specialist teachers, for schools within an eastern region in England. A mixed methodology was employed to evaluate the usefulness of the Toolkit as a training resource, as well as its perceived effectiveness in raising the skills of school professionals working within the SEMH area. Qualitative as well as quantitative data was gathered from the two groups participating in training, as school staff delegates, and as facilitators of training delivery. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used for data analysis.Results. The findings suggest evidence of improved skills and knowledge in the area of SEMH, with some specific impact on delegates' practice. Implications for practice are discussed.