Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2015 to Question 333, what steps (a) her Department and (b) Ofsted plans to take to monitor the effect on children of there being no educational psychologists employed by the local authority in whose area their school is located.

The Department for Education takes the views of parents, carers, children and young people on educational psychology services seriously. There has been an active parent representative from the Learning Trust on its Educational Psychology Training National Steering Group since 2011. Furthermore, as part of the joint review of clinical and educational psychology training arrangements with the Department of Health, the department is planning wider consultation with children and young people (0-25 years) on psychological services.

It is a matter for Ofsted if they plan to monitor the effect on children of there being no educational psychologists employed by the local authority in whose area their school is located. I have asked Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, to write to the honorable Member with the information requested. A copy of his reply will be placed in the House of Commons library.