Research projects
Thesis research for trainee educational psychologists
If you are on a professional doctorate in educational and child psychology, your placement already puts you in local authority educational psychology services and primary schools. Our open research questions sit in that setting: attention and executive function in children aged 7 to 11, at home and at school.
What a thesis could look like
- Now, with adult participants: interviews or focus groups with SENCOs, teachers or educational psychologists about what information helps before referral, and how it is used in the graduated approach set out in the SEND Code of Practice.
- Now, with no participants: a systematic review in one of the topic areas below.
- From spring 2027, with children: school-based studies under your university’s ethics approval, with the school’s agreement and parental consent.
Topics that fit placement work
Why now
The government’s schools white paper, Every child achieving and thriving (February 2026), proposes earlier identification of need and digital Individual Support Plans, put together with parents and reviewed at least once a year. These changes are subject to consultation and legislation. We would like to understand, with schools and educational psychology services, whether structured information gathered during play could be useful as that system develops.
How it works. Supervision stays with your university. We provide the design documents under a confidentiality agreement, access to the build, clinical input from an HCPC-registered speech and language therapist, and a named contact. Your right to submit your thesis, and to publish findings whether or not they favour the product, is protected. We ask only for a short review before publication to remove confidential information.
If you are planning your thesis this year, get in touch early.