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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.

We are inviting proposals from experienced organisations to provide public affairs, parliamentary engagement and media support to our small, dedicated team. This is an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of campaigns that matter, championing the EP profession, influencing policy across all four UK nations, and improving outcomes for children, young people and families.

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.

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.

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.