School Improvement and the Role of the Educational Psychologist

Fox (2009) reports that EPs began working at the organisational level in order to facilitate change and improve school practice in the 1970s. By supporting schools at the whole-school level as opposed to working with individual students, it is

suggested that EPs can maximize the impact of their intervention (Stratford, 2000). Fox (2009) states that EPs can facilitate change at the whole-school level by

conducting action research, holding consultations with school staff and through the delivery of in service training (INSET). However one must first consider the potential barriers EPs may encounter when attempting to facilitate change at the whole-school level. Stratford (2000) highlighted four such potential barriers (see Table 1). The barriers identified by Stratford (2000) relate to EP practice within all school settings

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and are not exclusively related to special schools. One would anticipate that within an SEBD special school all members of staff are actively engaged in supporting the SEN of their students, since all students are subject to a Statement of SEN. As a result EPs may liaise with a wider proportion of the school’s staff and not exclusively with the school’s SENCo.

Table 1. The potential barriers EPs may encounter when attempting to facilitate

change through a whole-school approach (Stratford, 2000).

Potential barriers EPs may encounter

Examples relating to each potential barrier The type of input

traditionally provided by EPs within the school over recent

years

 EPs may have traditionally engaged in individual work with students. This may therefore become a barrier due to the learned expectation of commissioners and clients that EPs work at the individual level and that organisational development, school improvement and action research in schools are not areas of EP

expertise and/or practice.

 EPs may have traditionally provided support when challenges have emerged, as opposed to providing preventative support.

The school’s philosophy in regards

to SEN

 SEN may be viewed as reflecting limitations in a child’s cognitive, social, emotional and/or physical

capabilities, as opposed to within an ecological paradigm which views a student’s needs within the context of their immediate surrounding and wider environments.

EP traditionally consults with the

school SENCo regarding the SEN of

students

 Head Teacher associates the role of the EP with the SEN department and more specifically the SENCo. As a result the EP’s contact with the Head Teacher is restricted.

The additional involvement of external agencies, most notably when a school is placed into

the category of ‘special measures’ (now categorised as

‘inadequate’) by Ofsted.

 The additional external agencies providing support to the school may hold alternative objectives and beliefs which may impact on the direction of change.

 The involvement of additional external agencies may also impact on the availability of school staff to engage with the EP.

One way in which EPs can facilitate school improvement and address any potential barriers to their contribution as external change agents, is through the application of

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the Research and Development in Organisations (RADIO) Approach. The RADIO Approach was originally developed by Knight and Timmins in 1995 at the University of Birmingham in order to support Trainee EPs to formulate a school’s or

organisation’s presenting needs and develop an appropriate action plan when conducting organisational development, using collaborative action research

methodology. The RADIO Approach was later shared with the wider EP profession within Timmins et al.’s (2003) article in the journal, Educational Psychology in Practice. Timmins et al. (2003) highlight that the RADIO Approach consists of 12 phases (see Table 2). Timmins et al. (2003) demonstrate an awareness of the potential challenges that may arise when attempting to facilitate change within an organisation. As previously stated, resistance can occur at the organisational or individual level (Cartwright and Baron, 2002). In anticipation of this potential barrier, the RADIO Approach consists of two key approaches. Firstly key sponsors are identified and conscripted as active partners within the intervention. Timmins et al. (2003) believe the involvement of sponsors should help to overcome any resistance within the process of change, encourage sponsors to take ownership of the problem and further enhance their engagement within the process of change. The second approach highlighted by Timmins et al.’s (2003) RADIO Approach also encourages the EP to revisit earlier phases as the intervention evolves to ensure that their interpretations of the presenting need are accurate and the planned response is appropriate. This may support the EP to identify and address any potential barriers which may inhibit the process of change, as the intervention evolves.

As indicated within Table 2 the RADIO Approach (Phases 1 to 5) emphasises the need for EPs to clarify the purpose of their input. Timmins et al. (2003) state that the strong emphases upon clarifying the needs of the organisation prior to conducting

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further action and upon the collaborative action research paradigm are necessary to maximise prospects of the organisation utilising the outcomes of the research.

Timmins et al. (2003) also emphasise that EPs should incorporate their knowledge of the local context when providing support to an organisation. Local knowledge can be utilised to support understanding of the organisation’s needs and ensure that

potential solutions are ecologically valid and so more effective. This final point is notable due to the fact that Ofsted (2014a) follow a national framework during the process of school inspection, which may not take fully into account the local context of the school when identifying where improvements can be made. As previously outlined, Shaw et al. (2003) believe that if contextual factors are taken into consideration during the evaluation of existing practice, the process of school improvement is enhanced.

Table 2. The Research and Development in Organisations (RADIO) Approach.

Adapted from Timmins et al. (2006; 2003).

RADIO Phase Typical Activity

1 Awareness of Need EP’s communication with school provides an