Nottinghamshire County Council’s Educational Psychology Service (EPS) has been appointed to provide practical guidance to schools across the UK as pupils return after major incidents like the coronavirus pandemic.
The EPS has been appointed to work for the Association of Educational Psychologists (AEP) and National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN) on the major project.
By helping children get back to school, and re-establishing new daily routines, the council’s service will play a major role in supporting children’s health and wellbeing, following the upheaval of being in lockdown.
The UK-wide project includes producing a handbook, offering guidance and best practice, carrying out webinars, and co-authoring a blog, to help support the transition as more pupils go back to educational settings.
The work will be designed so that schools can refer to it for recovery and return following any significant events in the future, similar in impact to the pandemic. The new guidance is expected to be released in mid-July 2020.
Nottinghamshire County Council’s EPS offers training to organisations like nurseries, schools and colleges, to support children and young people’s learning, development, and wellbeing.
Coun Philip Owen, chairman of the council’s Children and Young People’s Committee, said: “Our Educational Psychology Service is well placed to carry out this important project. It has been doing some great work in this area for many years alongside our Education Library Services.
“The appointment is an endorsement of the service’s work, and an excellent opportunity to showcase the approach of the EPS to a wider audience.
“I’d like to offer my congratulations to everyone involved.”