29th September 2022

• Schools in Sheffield are now able to buy in extra support from the Educational Psychology Service.

  In previous years, every school received a set amount of time from the service free of charge. Due to the small size of the service, this free allocation was often insufficient to meet need.

  Schools will continue to receive a free core offer. However, the amount of time each school receives will be calculated differently this year, and will be based on the school’s size and level of need. Some schools will get more than in previous years, and some will get less.

  From September 2022, schools are also able to buy a subscription to the Educational Psychology Service, which will give them additional sessions throughout the year. Most schools in Sheffield have chosen to purchase a subscription. At present, the amount of extra time that schools can purchase is limited by the capacity of the service. Over time, the subscription model will allow the service to recruit more staff and increase the offer to schools.

  Schools do not have to pay (or use their free allocation) for educational psychology reports that form part of an assessment for an Education Health and Care (EHC) plan. The local authority must pay for these reports. Educational psychology reports for annual reviews of EHC plans, however, will normally come out of schools’ time allocations.