Profile

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Amber Newell

My CV

  • Education:

    I completed primary school at Bay Farm Elementary School, California. Then I moved to Singapore American School for middle school. I then complete my first two years of high school at Alameda High School, California before moving to India where I went to school at American School of Bombay. Finally I moved back to England and finished my schooling at St. Clare’s International School, Oxford.

  • Qualifications:

    St. Clare’s International School – International Baccalaureate Diploma. This qualification helped me secure a spot at University. It also allowed me to continue with 6 subjects, rather than reducing the number of subjects I did like you did in A-levels or equivalent. I always felt I did better in school with a wider range of subjects.

    University of Durham – BSc Education Studies and Psychology. This was a BPS-certified undergraduate degree which I eventually needed in order to continue my training to be a psychologist. This course helped me to understand the ways that psychology can be applied in education and laid the foundations for the rest of my career.

    University of Reading – MSc Developmental Psychopathology. After graduating from Durham I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do but knew I was interested in Psychology. I continued learning about psychology and had opportunities to start working with children and young people with learning difficulties.

    University of Southampton – Doctorate in Educational Psychology. This is the course required to be completed in order to qualify as an Educational Psychologist in the UK.

  • Work History:

    • Carts and Stands Attendant, Legoland – that’s where  met my now husband!
    • Ascot Bar Host, Pennyhill Park Hotel
    • Speech Therapist and Research Assistant (whilst completing my MSc)
    • 1:1 Keyworker for a child with Selective Mutism
    • Volunteer Befriender and Mentor for a charity called Family Friends
    • Residential Mental Health Recovery Worker for a mental health charity called Together-UK
    • Support Worker for a CAMHS psychiatric hospital
    • Assistant Clinical psychologist
    • Research Assessor for a large-scale research project

  • Current Job:

    • Trainee Educational Psychologist – now in my final year and due to qualify this summer

    • About Me:

      I’m in my final year of training to be an educational psychologist. In my free time I like to bake, go bouldering, and spend time with family and friends.

    • Read more

      I live in Reading with my husband and our pet cat, Spartacus. I moved around a lot as a child and have lived in California, Singapore and India. I love travelling and trying new foods from around the world. My hobbies include baking, bouldering and doing yoga.

    • Read more

      I work for the Local Authority and support schools within a local area. I work with children and young people to find out what they are good at and what they sometimes find hard. I find out what they like and don’t like about school. I use this information to work with lots of different people to try and make the changes that the child or young person would like to see. I might visit a child in school to have a chat with them, work together on an activity, do some questionnaires together or ask them some questions. After working together I usually write a report summarising our discussion and the activities we did together that is shared with adults who know the child well. I include some recommendations to help make school a more positive experience for the children, including any ideas they have come up with on their own.

    • My Typical Day:

      I am lucky because I get to spend my days working with and supporting children and young people. I work with children directly and also with adults and other professionals who know them well to try and make their school experience better.

    • Read more

      I start working around 9am and the first thing I usually do is check my e-mails. Then I usually have a couple of visits to different educational settings (e.g. primary/secondary schools, nursery, college) to meet with children, young people, families and school staff. I have a meeting with parents and school staff to discuss concerns they have about a child or young person and to find out how I can help. Then I will observe the child or young person and work with them one-to-one to find out more about and from them. In between visits to schools I write reports and emails to other professionals. Once a week I have supervision, which is an opportunity to speak with my manager about how my work is going and to get help from them on anything I am stuck with. We also have team meetings once a month.

    • What I'd do with the prize money:

      I’d like to donate the prize money to a school who can use it to support their staff by encouraging training and buying of resources to support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

    • My Interview

      • How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

        good listener, problem-solver, flexible worker, advocator for children and young people

        What did you want to be after you left school?

        I wasn't sure but knew I wanted to work in education

        Were you ever in trouble at school?

        Not really, I enjoyed and valued school.

        Who is your favourite singer or band?

        I really couldn't pick just one, but my favourite genre is country music.

        What's your favourite food?

        Mexican

        If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!

        I'd wish for a healthy and happy family; a successful career and lots of opportunities for travelling.

        Tell us a joke.

        Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?

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