News & Activity

Minoushe Grant shares a short blog with her reflections on the newly released Toy Story 5 - and how play has changed for children. "Last week, I went with my family to watch Toy Story 5, and it made me reflect deeply on how play has changed over the last four decades. As a parent in the 2020s (even as an Educational and child psychologist) I find myself constantly wondering whether I am making the best choices for my own children."

Ahead of the AEP Annual Conference 2026, taking place on Thursday 12th and Friday 13th November at the Crowne Plaza, near Reading, we are inviting submissions for a special collection in Educational Psychology in Practice.

Recent elections - including yesterday's by-elections - across England, Scotland and Wales have reshaped the political landscape and may have important implications for education, children's services and wider systems of support for children and young people.

One of my big work strands over April and May was to respond to the government consultation on the SEND reforms proposed in the Schools White Paper, published by the DfE on 23 February 2026. As both an educational psychologist (EP) and an AEP official, this process has given me lots of time to reflect on the White Paper and, whilst I can’t cover everything it contains in a short blog, I will try and articulate some hopes and concerns on what the Experts at Hand Fund, Inclusion bases, and plans for EHCPs might mean for our members.

The May 2026 elections across the UK have reshaped the political landscape, particularly in Scotland and Wales, where there was significant electoral shifts and education policy has become tied to wider debates around child wellbeing, poverty and public services. While England’s elections do not directly produce a national education policy shift, they still demonstrate potential shifts in priority.

This year's Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held in person on Thursday 12th November 2026 as part of the AEP Annual Conference, which is taking place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, near Reading. The AGM is the ‘supreme decision-making body of the Association’ and is open to all AEP members to attend and member participation is vital to ensure the democratic running of the association.

The Government has today announced a series of measures aimed at helping families and businesses with rising costs linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The AEP and other unions representing teachers, specialists and school staff have warned that government plans for every state school to join an academy trust will reinforce and exacerbate fragmentation of schools and divert money away from pupils.

A new report - Educational psychologists in England - from the Education Policy Institute (EPI), has been published today. The research evidences the chronic shortage of Educational Psychologists and record provision gaps and reveals the stark disparity in levels of EP provision.

Soulbury Officers’ Side has formally accepted the pay offer, effective from September 2025.