Plum Tree Psychology

Independent Educational Psychologist

Individual Educational Psychology Assessments

Educational Psychology Assessment with young boyA psychological assessment of a child or young person may be suggested by a parent, school or pre-school for various reasons, such as:

  • If there are concerns about a child’s progress despite additional support.
  • If an independent assessment of the child’s ability, strengths and difficulties is required, for example prior to school transfer or for special exam arrangements such as additional time or a scribe.
  • If a child is having behavioural, emotional or social difficulties at school.

The Assessment Process

The exact nature of each assessment will vary depending on the child or young person’s needs. However, the assessment process usually includes the following steps:

  1. The concerned adult makes contact with me by phone or email with a brief summary of the situation. If it is decided that an individual assessment would be appropriate, I will suggest a possible assessment date.
  2. A parental consent & pre-assessment questionnaire is sent to parents. This should be returned within 10 days, in order to secure the proposed assessment date.
  3. Once parental consent has been received, a school pre-assessment questionnaire will be sent to the school, with parental agreement.
  4. The majority of assessments take place at the child’s school. Assessments are usually about three hours long, but the pace and nature of each session varies depending on the child’s needs. Children who find it hard to attend for long periods are given as many breaks as necessary. Children typically enjoy the adult attention and the novel assessment activities.
  5. A joint problem-solving meeting is held to discuss the session and to plan how the child can best be supported. These meetings are a valuable part of the process, particularly if relevant members of school staff and parents are able to attend.
  6. Following the assessment a full report is written, providing a summary of all the assessment scores, recommendations and conclusions.

I undertake individual assessments with children and young people from 3-16 years old. Assessments start at £520 depending on the complexity of the situation, travel costs etc. Please note that due to the large number of assessment requests that I usually receive, I may have a waiting list for individual assessments.

Excellent, professional and thorough assessments. Plum provides very comprehensive feedback with useful strategies to implement at home and school. Head of Learning Support of an Independent Pre-preparatory School.