Rachel O’Connor has been formally appointed as Jersey’s new Principal Educational Psychologist, and she will officially begin her role at the beginning of April 2026.
Rachel (pictured) joins Jersey from the London Borough of Greenwich, where she currently serves as Co‑Principal Educational Psychologist. She has led a multidisciplinary Educational Psychology and Wellbeing Service of more than 70 professionals dedicated to improving inclusion and wellbeing for children and families. Her leadership has included close collaboration across SEN services, the Virtual School, Youth Justice, and a wide range of local partners to design reflective, collaborative, and impactful approaches to early intervention and inclusion.
Rachel brings over 30 years of experience in education, including work as both a primary and secondary teacher, school senior leader, and 15 years as a practising Educational Psychologist.
Despite recent challenges, Jersey’s EPS now has a stable team of four Educational Psychologists and four Wellbeing Facilitators, who are actively engaging in priority work to support children and families across the Island.
Education and Lifelong Learning Minister, Deputy Rob Ward, said: “This accreditation reflects the commitment and professionalism of Jersey’s ELSAs, who continue to play a vital role in supporting children’s emotional development. We are confident that these milestones represent important steps forward.
“With strengthened leadership, an expanding team, and national recognition for our ELSA provision, we are building the capacity needed to deliver a high‑quality, inclusive, and preventative psychology service for the children and families of Jersey. We appreciate the commitment and collaboration shown by the Association of Education Psychologists. On behalf of the service, I would like to thank our school leaders, staff, children, young people, and families for their patience and support during this period of development.”
