Best route to Ed Psych career

[CakewalkCakeWalk]

After reading an excellent and informative thread about a poster's DD possibly going into teaching with an interest in psychology, I am wondering if I could request some advice and info re a similar scenario?

DD is thinking long term about being an Ed Psych, she knows she wants to work in the psychology field but not 100% sure on Ed Psych. Her potential A levels are Psychology, Biology and Drama.

Her thoughts at the moment (Y11) is to do a primary teaching degree to enable her to start a career (although not necessarily the career she wants long term) and also to get the relevant experience to get onto the competitive Ed Psych course. But from reading the above mentioned thread, I;m not sure that's the best way to go!

Can anyone offer any advice or thoughts please?

I think you’re talking about my thread and DD’s interest in teaching. I’ve done a tiny bit of research into Ed Psych and it seems that you no longer need to be an ex teacher but you do need a Psych degree and a years ‘working with children’ experience. It’s then a PhD (3yrs) then 2 years training. The government have 200 funded places once you’ve got the psych degree, BPS registration and a years experience - so they fund the next 5 years. My DD didn’t fancy 9yrs of training/study.
www.aep.org.uk/training/

No it’s psychology degree, then 3 year taught doctorate then into job- that scheme means you have to commit to the 2 years on the job training post funding for doctorate or you pay it back. But to get on to the doctorate, you need experience working with children, ideally with the sort of children that would be seen by an Ed psych. It’s competitive and a long haul but not impossible!
I did the degree and was a research assistant in clinical and Ed psych settings before realising I wanted to be a teacher just working with children all the time as opposed to assessing and observing which is what the job entails a lot of. I then became a teacher in a specialist area after working in different areas of SEN. She could always volunteer to work in schools including SEN settings, PRUs etc to get the breadth of experience in a range of settings. There are also assistant psychology positions which are ideal experience.

No, don’t do a teaching degree! The other posters are right-you need a psych degree now and there’s no need to be a teacher first (which I think is a massive shame), then a 3/4 year doctorate. It’s not an easy, quick or cheap route!

And there’s a huge shortage of EPs since they made the move away from a masters-enter route!

What a mistake that was! My LA sponsored teachers to train as EPs back in the day. They knew about teaching and it made their visits to schools more productive. Their advice to heads snd teachers about some DC was invaluable because of their teaching experience of actually doing the job. It was always a long slog but it produced excellent Ed Psychs.

Lol OP - the application deadline for next years entry to the Doctorate was today so this funny/terrible timing as I’ve been stressing about this all day. I wouldn’t personally worry too much at this point about how your DD could access EP training - there’s a lot of stages in between her even being able to apply for the doctorate. If she’s interested in education and psychology then she can build up experience in those areas and see is she likes it or would prefer teaching it a related career. There are now undergrad courses in educational psychology, or she could do general psychology, or like me she could faff about for most of her twenties and do a conversion course. I do think it’s a career that would benefit from a bit of ‘life’ (although I would say that). It’s very competitive and a bit demoralising at times tbh.

I wouldn’t personally worry too much at this point about how your DD could access EP training

I think it’s a hugely important point to be deciding which undergraduate degree you choose though! If, as the OP suggests, her daughter does a primary teaching degree instead of a psychology degree-her path to being an EP is much longer!

I also did a PGCE before applying btw. I’d probably recommend your DD do some quite general a levels that could also lead to teaching, SALT, etc and see if they interest her. I have found that understanding what jobs are available in the weird education/health space is actually quite hard unless you spend time in schools. And like others, some people realise they prefer actually seeing the same kids all the time in a school so don’t end up going down the EP route but might move into a SENCo role etc

@Howshouldibehave
You can do a Masters as a conversion course after any degree, my first degree is absolutely nothing to do with psychology. So it could be a year longer. Although I would say that a primary education degree is quite unusual these days in England at least as most people do a PGCE.