ECP 20 4

Abstract

Addressing bullying in schools: Organisational factors from policy to practice Sue Roffey Whole school behaviour policy reviews and projects Peter Lloyd Bennett & Richard Gamman Theme consultancy exploring organisational themes to symptomatic problems of behaviour management in a primary school Joan Baxter Understanding schools as systems: Implications for the management of pupil behaviour Michael Sutoris Transition: The childs perspective Carmel Durkin The sixth discipline of the learning organisation understanding the psychology of individual constructs and the organisation (or PICTO) Rob Stoker An analysis of the organisational constraints on educational psychologists working at whole school level: The opportunity of inclusion Robert Stratford Changing the profile of an educational psychology service Sonia Sharp, Norah Frederickson & Karen Laws 98 The present issue provides a wide-ranging series of articles covering many aspects of educational psychologists involvement in organisational change. Following a successful London conference, on the theme of organisational change arranged by the Division of Educational and Child Psychology committee, it was felt that there were exciting develop- ments in organisational change of interest to our profession with implications for the wider context of the education system. Roffey takes a critical approach to EP involvement using a whole school approach to bullying and she examines links between pupil bullying as a behavioural difficulty and models of organisational structures which can empower or intimidate staff. Lloyd Bennett and Gamman provide detailed information on an example from a series of whole school projects looking at school behaviour policies and their implementation. The project contained three phases: firstly, a joint review of the school behaviour policy; secondly, data gathering through observations, interviews and questionnaires; thirdly, feedback and evaluation. Baxter describes a consultancy project carried out in a primary school to address pupils behaviour difficulties and designs a personal development programme for recording emotional/behavioural needs and progress. Sutoris draws upon open systems and psychoanalytic models as a way of understanding school processes in terms of the role of pupils and teachers interacting within the school system and generating values which go beyond pupils achieving academic goals. Durkin uses a systemic framework to consider the impact of externally imposed changes on schools and the thoughts and feelings of children involved in the process of transition from primary to secondary school. Stoker examines how to shape future professional practice to meet changing demands and the importance of the psychology of individuals within organisations. Stratford reports on a survey of educational psychologists asked to identify current skills and training needs for working at whole school level. Constraints on practice were identi- fied and ways for educational psychology services to overcome them. Sharp, Frederickson and Laws outline the performance review process of an educational psychology service using 360 degree feedback for implementing agreed changes to the profile of service activities. This collection of papers reflect educational psychologists concern with the central themes of raising achievement and promoting school improvement through working at an organ-change for a considerable period of time explaining that helping organisations to develop the knowledge and skills needed to impact on school effectiveness is a cost effective use of their time. Individual casework does not preclude affecting organisational structures which can either support or resist change. Involvement in one part of the education system, for example, with an individual child or a group of individuals, is likely to have ramifications in other parts of the system and the wider community. The educational psychology profes- sion is likely to explore this theme further in the future aiming to enable the application of psychological knowledge and skills to permeate the learning organisation in all its spheres of functioning. Peter