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The government has announced new measures aimed at reducing growing costs in the independent special school sector and reinvesting funding into SEND provision in England. The government says the reforms are intended to help to end the “postcode lottery” in SEND support and address escalation of costs for LAs.

The Department for Education published a report this morning revealing how many hours local authorities spend developing and issuing EHCPs. This comes alongside an announcement of a long term commitment to growing the Educational Psychology (EP) workforce in England – ensuring more trained workers in the years to come.

The Department for Education (DfE) has announced that, over time, all secondary schools will be expected to establish “inclusion bases”. These bases are intended to provide dedicated spaces where pupils can access targeted support that bridges mainstream and specialist provision.

On Wednesday, Tes ran a feature exploring the role of EPs in schools and the wide range of support they provide to children, families and communities. Drawing on interviews with members from Wandsworth EP service, including AEP London representative, Simon Ungar, the article showcases work of EPs in addition to roles in individual assessment or statutory processes.

The AEP, alongside fellow education unions, are urgently calling for our voice and expertise as educators and specialists to be at the centre of shaping AI adoption in education settings across the UK.

As the year draws to a close, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what has been a really busy and positive start to my role as General Secretary. I’m almost at the end of my first term, and I’m already looking forward to building on this momentum in 2026.

As shared in the Honorary Treasurer’s Annual report, the NEC agreed to increase membership fees by 3.5 percent in 2026 to support an increase in expenditure. Fees have remained at the same level for several years, at a time of significant inflation and reduced income and this small increase is necessary to sustain the association's finances.

We want to highlight - and celebrate - best practice from our members, demonstrating the wide contribution of EP work across education, health, and community settings. This includes innovative approaches, preventative work, and projects that promote wellbeing, inclusion, and positive outcomes for children and young people.

Following the pay claim sent to the Soulbury Employers' Side on 25 June the Employers’ Side undertook a consultation of councils in England and Wales and have sent a formal response to the claim, dated 7 October 2025.

The Association of Educational Psychologists (AEP) welcomes the House of Commons Education Select Committee’s Solving the SEND Crisis report. Highlighting an acute shortfall of EPs and specialist staff, the report urged the Government to act now to address the SEND system’s shortcomings.