In this Issue:

UCL Ed Psych twitter account!

Thanks to the many students, graduates and other members of the UCL Educational Psychology community who have followed us since we launched our twitter account - in September. For those who have not yet done so, don't forget to follow us at @ucledpsych !

We are always delighted to receive new items to tweet from our community so please contact the admin team and Dr Ben Hayes if you have an item you would like to share.

Time for a Coffee Break?

For those of you about to grab a coffee, click here for a how to guide submitted by our very own in-house high quality coffee expert Dr Phil Stringer!

Your News and Views are always welcome - please send us your comments

Autumn/Winter 2016

New Faces and Graduations within the Group

In September 2016 we were joined by our eleventh cohort of Doctorate in Educational & Child Psychology trainees, as well as two new seconded Academic & Professional Tutors - Dr Gurdip Theara and Dr Heloise Morgan - and new Practice Tutor, Dr Jennifer Greene. A warm and now very belated welcome to our three new tutors (providing maternity cover) as well as our fourteen new (now not so new!) 16-19 cohort trainees - Natalie Anyibofu, Samantha Broomfield, David Damon, Kimberley Gallagher, Imogen Hagarty, Samantha Hinds, Alicja Jedrzejewska, Shahid Khan, Bonita Liang, Chloe Smith, Jeetan Songara, Louisa Reynolds, Chris Rogers and Emma Watson.

July 2016 saw another round of festivities on the DECPsy programme with our class of 2013-16 completing the course and launching their careers as fully-qualified EPs. The group are pictured left in that iconic 'on the steps' last day pose and continued the celebrations later that day with a DECPsy leavers cake, some very well-deserved champagne and a fun and trivia filled end-of-programme party. Congratulations to Dr.s Atkins, Collingwood, Daya, Grant, Hamilton, Jalali, Levy, O'Connor, Loke, McDonald, Miranda, O'Leary, Phipps, Southworth and Standen. Click here for the party photos from the group, enjoying an extremely well deserved moment of celebration!

On Friday 8th July we were delighted to welcome back many of the previous 12 months' DECPsy and DEdPsy graduates for the Educational Psychology graduation ceremony. Some of our DECPsy 12-15 graduates (Drs Alicia Crane, Emma Sheffield, Bisi Showunmi, Olenka Dean, Paul Killerby, Ruth Rogers, Mehmet Agdiran, Emily George, William Bulman and Meadbh Ni Fhoighil) are pictured left with Programme Director Dr Sandra Dunsmuir, Deputy Programme Director Dr Susan Birch and DECPsy tutor and DEdPsy 2016 graduate Dr Antonia Cobbald. Click here to view further images including a group shot with group graduate Dr Aimee White and Deputy Programme Director Dr Jessica Dewey.

And right are pictured some of our most recent DEdPsy graduates - Drs Therese Brophy, Richard Egan, Elaine Shaw, Tara Midgen, Helen Connaughton, Rebecca Ashton, Marian Prinsley, Michael Cullinane and Fiona Kelly Meldon. Click here also to see further images from the group, alongside Programme Directors/Academic & Professional Tutors Dr Susan Birch, Phil Stringer, Roger Booker and Tony Cline.

On behalf of the whole EP Group team, a huge congratulations to all of our recent graduates!

Personal News

As ever, we have heard of some exciting personal news in the Group, including the prerequisite new Ed Psych baby, wedding and sporting news!

A double dose of tutor congratulations to kick off, with baby news from not one but two ed psych tutors in September!

First up, DECPsy Academic & Professional Tutor Dr Antonia Cobbald became proud mum to Angus Henry Phillip Matthews on 3rd September. Baby Angus was born at 1:15am weighing in at an impressive 10lbs 7oz! Click here to see a larger family photo as well as one of baby Angus making his contribution to psychological research when he took part in a study into sleep and memory at Oxford University BabyLab!

And hot on Antonia's heels was DECPsy Academic & Professional and Practice Tutor Dr Catherine Ashe, now mum to little Evelyn Marie Brown who was born on 13th September weighing 7lbs 7oz. Catherine reports that baby Evelyn is doing really well at making sure she and dad Andy we are being kept busy but in spite of that mum and dad could not be happier. As can be seen from some of Evelyn's photos, she is already showing a keen interest in her parents' psychology books!

Some sporting news next, from Academic and Professional Tutor Dr Juliet Starbuck who competed in the European Middle Distance Championships for Great Britain this September. The race was run in Austria (Juliet said "think of the Sound of Music but without the singing, or nuns"). It was hot and hilly but fantastic fun. Juliet was delighted to finish the challenging course in 5 hours and 53 minutes. She came 23rd in her age-group. The promise to family and friends was to retire after this one but Juliet says "we'll see"!

Group Administrator Eleanor Callen is pictured right at September's Angel Canal Festival alongside other volunteers from Islington charity The Stuart Low Trust. Most Friday evenings Eleanor can be found serving hot drinks and sandwiches as a volunteer for the charity's events. The charity hosts various events throughout the week which are open to anyone, but particularly aimed at people who are isolated in the community or experiencing mental health difficulties. On Friday evenings free food and drinks are followed by a one hour event. The event is sometimes a talk related to mental health, or something completely different like live music, comedy or a local history talk.

And wrapping up September with some romance, DECPsy Academic & Professional Tutor Dr Heloise Morgan tied the knot in style in France almost at the same time she started her role at UCL! Heloise says "We married in the beautiful medieval village of Grimaud in the South of France in September surrounded by all our family and friends. We spent our summers there together as friends before finally becoming husband and wife there in 2016!"
Click here for some more images of Heloise and hubby Charles Polovy enjoying their big day!

We were also pleased to hear that former DEdPsy Co-Director and UCL Educational Psychology Group legend Dr Sean Cameron welcomed his latest grandchild (number 5) into the Cameron clan recently. Little Lily Eileen made her appearance in late summer into the Cork branch of the family and is already making her presence felt. Pround grandad says that she has the biggest smile in Ireland and it is continuing to grow, as can be seen from her photo! Click here for a larger picture of the lovely Lily.

Some family and travel news next, from one of our DECPsy graduates - 08-11 cohort alumnus Dr Susanna Flett. Susie is now living in Australia with her two adorable daughters! She says "We have been in Sydney for a year now and there has been so much to arrange I should write a UCL-style handbook about it! I miss home so much but we love the beach lifestyle here. I am starting work as a provisional psychologist in January for 3 months with a not for profit organisation called Learning Links, then after passing an exam I can get my health council registration. I also had a second daughter Nina in December last year, sister for 3 year old Heidi. If anyone is passing through Sydney get in touch!" Click here for further photos of little Nina and Heidi.

Continuing on the topic of travel, click here for an account by Dr Phil Stringer of the work of the Center for Curative Pedagogics (CCP) and Action for Russia’s Children (ARC) in Moscow written following an October 2016 family visit to Russia with a distinctly EP flavour (as well as a surprising postscript!)

Finally, we were impressed to hear that Research Methods & Statistics Lecturer Dr Andy Fugard has been diversifying his skill set yet further by doing a Level 1 Award in British Sign Language at City Lit! Andy says... "So far I can sign things like, "Hello", "What's your name?", "Where are you from?" and "We don't need no education". I can also sign about the weather and give directions to the library and cafes. A long way to go but it's all very fun! This dictionary has been a great help: http://www.signbsl.com/ This fingerspelling challenge is fun too: http://www.british-sign.co.uk/fingerspelling-game/ "

Publications and Research

Congratulations to our DEdPsy and DECPsy graduates on the following recent publications:

Dr Rebecca Ashton (DEdPsy 2016 graduate) - publications based on her research thesis and one professional practice assignment:

Ashton, R. A framework for assessment of children's social competence, with particular focus on children with brain injuries - to be published in: Applied Neuropsychology: Child.

Ashton, R. Does a universal sleep education programme improve the sleep habits of primary school children? - to be published in Sleep & Biological Rhythms

Dr Marie Hayes (DEdPsy 2014 graduate) - Hayes, M. and Stringer, S. (2016). Introducing Farouk's process consultation group approach in Irish primary schools. Educational Psychology in Practice, 32 (2), 145-162

Dr Emma Sheffield (DECPsy 12-15 graduate) - Sheffield, E. L.., & Morgan, G (2016). The perceptions and experiences of young peoplewith a BESD/SEMH classification. Educational Psychology in Practice. DOI 10.1080/02667363.2016.1225192


Congratulations also to DEdPsy course member Katrice Sheridan who is pictured left at the Launch of the Coaching Supervision Handbook for members of the Psychological Society of Ireland in October. Katrice, centre, was on the team in the Division of Work Psychologist's (DWOP) Coaching Psychology Group that developed this book - click here for an article from the Irish Psychologist which gives details attached.

Conferences and Events

Congratulations to DECPy 13-16 graduate Dr Lacretia Loke, who presented at a research symposium at the XI Autism-Europe International Congress on 17 September 2016 in Edinburgh. Lacretia's presentation was on her thesis research topic: using cognitive behavioural therapy approaches to teach social skills to adolescents with high-functioning autism. Lacretia is pictured left at the symposium - click here for a larger image.

We are delighted also to report DEdPsy 2016 graduate Dr Jenny Feinmann has been busy with a range of conference engagements based around her thesis topic of Academic language development. Jenny is pictured right in Copenhagen last month at the European Council for International Schools (ECIS) annual educators conference, where she coordinated a workshop entitled 'Academic Language: from theory to practice' with two teachers from the International School of Paris.

Prior to that, at the Amsterdam based International School Psychology Association annual conference this July, Jenny presented her research project in a PechaKucha format (20 slides, 20 seconds a slide). This was, in Jenny's words, a "very challenging but excellent excercise"!

Jenny's proposals have been accepted for two other conferences in March 2017 - in Copenhagen: ECIS English as a Second Language and Mother Tongue special interest group and in Paris: English Language Schools Association annual teacher development day, the topic of which will be: 'BICS or CALP? Identifying key elements of academic language development'.

And in November 2016 current DEdPsy course member Katrice Sheridan was a key note speaker at an Awareness Event organised by the Tipperary Dyspraxia Association and Tipperary Dyslexia Peer Support Groups (North Tipperary LEADER Partner). It was a full house with attendees also including some politicians. Further details are available on the Support Group's facebook page or click on the poster image for additional information.

In May, DEdPsy Professional & Academic Tutor Dr Tony Cline gave a presentation on language brokering in schools at the third International Conference on Non-Professional Interpretation and Translation, together with Sarah Crafter of the UCL Institute of Education and Evangelia Prokopiou of the University of Northampton. This took place in the small town of Winterthur in Switzerland.

And as a long-standing supporter of SMIRA, the Leicester-based association for parents and professionals who are concerned about selective mutism, on 6th July Tony went as far as wearing a suit and tie to give the opening address at a reception held in the Palace of Westminster to raise awareness of Selective Mutism and of the work of the association. It was hosted by Lucy Powell MP (Shadow Secretary of State for Education when the arrangements were made). The SMIRA website is currently out of action as it is being updated. When it becomes available again, you will be able to find an account of the event including a copy of Tony's talk at http://smira.org.uk/resources/parliament-event/

During December we have held a range of seasonal programme events, including our DECPsy trainee party on 14th December and DECPsy London courses trainee party on 9th December (involving some fantastic constumes created by our 16-19 DECPsy cohort - including trainee sprouts, carrots and turkeys! - shown left), a Tutor Team Development Day involving some sumptious baking and festive jumpers in aid of Save the Children and our 7th December DEdPsy workshop (topic - Refugees, asylum seekers and new arrivals: the contribution of Educational Psychologists) and 6th December mini conference including DEdPsy festive group meal. Click here to see some photos from these events.

And we look forward in January to welcoming our nineteenth cohort of 12 new course members onto the DEdPsy Programme amd commencing the fourth run of the Developing Effective Leadership of Educational Psychology Services CPD course, lead by Dr Roger Booker.

Click here for information about - or to book a place - on this event, which came about as a response to requests from teachers and others in Kent, who wanted to know more about how to become an educational psychologist and what it was like to be one. Rather than individual EPs responding individually, this day was developed as a co-ordinated response to answer those sorts of questions and as a longer term investment for both Kent EPS service and the profession. This event is held annually and has proved to be very successful, being ideal for individuals who are eligible to train as Educational Psychologists in the future but who may not yet feel that they know enough about the profession and the job, to help them make their decision. Karen Lane at Kent EPS is the contact for any queries or to book.

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