Please note that I have a waiting list for individual assessments and am unlikely to be able to assess a pupil at short notice. At busy times, it is not possible for me to see all pupils for whom an enquiry is made, but I endeavour to see as many as possible.
For enquiries about an individual pupil, please use the contact form below. Individual assessment enquiries are not accepted by email.
For general enquiries that are not about assessment of an individual pupil (e.g. schools requesting training), I can be contacted on plum@plumhutton.co.uk
Before enquiring about an individual assessment please note the following:
- Availability: Due to a high level of demand I typically have a waiting list for individual assessments of 2-3 months, but this can be longer at busy times. However, I am usually able to hold a consultation at short notice. Consultations are an opportunity for the adults in a situation to talk through their concerns, brainstorm ideas and for us to jointly plan a way forward. In many cases no further intervention is needed following a consultation. Please note that consultations do not involve me working with the child, nor do they result in a written report.
- Type of work undertaken: I only work with pupils up to the age of 16 years 0 months. This is because I do not hold assessment materials for older pupils or adults. I do not undertake tribunal work.
- Pricing: Standard assessments are £650 and usually involve gathering background information from the parents and school, a detailed cognitive assessment, literacy attainments, a feedback meeting and written report. Identification of specific difficulties with literacy (dyslexia) is included in the cost of a standard assessment. There are small additional charges if other areas also need to be explored, such as maths, anxiety, screening for attention issues or ADHD, sensory processing, social skills or autism. Consultations and other work are usually charged at £100 per hour.
- Location of assessments: due to pressure of work, most assessments take place at my office near Dursley. School based assessments can be arranged in some cases when it is important for the pupil to be seen in school.
- Diagnosis of autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): I frequently work with, and provide strategies to support, pupils with attention difficulties and social communication and interaction difficulties. My assessments often clarify whether further medical assessment for autism or ADHD is advisable and information from my reports often contribute towards a diagnostic assessment. However, an educational psychology assessment alone will not result in a diagnosis of autism or ADHD.
- Access Arrangements: Data from my reports can be used by the schools that I regularly support to provide evidence for access arrangements for exams (e.g. extra time) for GCSEs, 11+, ISEB pre-tests etc. However, it is essential for the school to be involved in the process and, at secondary level, testing for access arrangements is often undertaken by the school. So, please discuss the situation with the SENCo before requesting an assessment. Testing for GCSEs must be done no earlier than Year 9. There are usually strict deadlines for applications for access arrangements, so please check the necessary timescales with the school/exam board.
