Courses

Educational Psychology Service

Dr Leanne Foley, Specialist Educational Psychologist

Before qualifying as a Child and Educational Psychologist and joining the Rochdale CEPS team in 2018, I worked as study centre co-ordinator in a high school. My passion as a CEP is community psychology and supporting children and young people to experience a sense of school belonging. I am interested in helping schools to develop a holistic approach in relation to school belonging to ensure children feel safe and happy whilst at school. I enjoy supporting schools through the Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) training and developing relationships with the families I work with.

Dr Heidi McDermott, Senior Educational Psychologist

I qualified as an Educational Psychologist in 2014.  Before that I worked as a primary school teacher and a specialist teacher with children and young people with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs.   As a senior Educational Psychologist, I carry out regular supervision with trainees and colleagues. I have strong beliefs about inclusion and social justice, I am very interested in SEMH, attachment, trauma and therapeutic approaches.  My thesis was around the use of assessments with children with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD).  I like to use dynamic assessment to understand what helps children and young people to learn and am always using and developing ways to make sure their voices are heard.

Dr Ciaran Dalton , Educational Psychologist

I've been qualified as an Educational Psychologist since 2022 and working as part of Rochdale EPS since 2019. Before training to be an EP I was a qualified teacher working at a special school for young people with ASC and prior to that I was a TA at a mainstream primary school. As an EP am particularly interested in how we get the views of young people and how we can teach them to advocate for themselves.

Dr Annmarie Moran, Educational Psychologist

I qualified as an Educational Psychologist in 2023. Before that I was a teacher in both mainstream schools and a pupil referral unit, teaching across both primary and secondary age ranges. I have also worked in elective home education, working with families who choose to home educate their children, taking a collaborative and multiagency approach to supporting families with the choices they make and with access to services. I am particularly interested in trauma, relational approaches, gender based violence, disability and social justice.

Helena Rogers, Trainee Educational Psychologist

I started training as an Educational Psychologist at the University of Manchester in 2021, and have been on placement in Rochdale throughout my training. Prior to this, I supported children and young people within a specialist primary school for social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs, a mainstream secondary school and as part of a youth charity. I am particularly passionate about relational approaches and supporting children and young people to be heard and understood. I am currently completing my thesis on the Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) intervention and whole-school approaches.

Dr Shireen Sadreddini, Specialist Educational Psychologist

I qualified as an EP in 2017. I am particularly passionate about supporting children and young people with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. I have enjoyed building up the skills and confidence of school staff through the Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) training.  I am interested in attachment and trauma and I have enjoyed supporting children/young people, parents and staff in this area and delivering attachment aware school training. I enjoy building rapport with young people and using a variety of approaches to support them to share their views.

Edgar Wood Academy