The Marine Society College of the Sea

Marine Society College Reinspection monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Richard Pemble HMI

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Type of provider: Specialist designated institution

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Address:

Publication date: 13 November 2015 Inspection number: 10007462 Monitoring visit: Marine Society College, 1 October 2015

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Context and focus of visit

This is the fourth reinspection monitoring visit to the Marine Society College following publication of the inspection report on 27 November 2014 which found the provider to be inadequate overall.

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Context and focus of visit

The Marine Society College offers a range of educational opportunities, including GCSE and A-level qualifications, to professional seafarers. Qualifications are now offered as a distance-learning package through two subcontractors; the college started to contract with a second subcontractor provider in September 2015 for all new enrolments. The inspection in October 2014 focused on the GCSE and A-level qualifications.

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Context and focus of visit

The purpose of this visit was to establish what progress managers have made in improving provision, in response to the priorities for improvement set in the first reinspection monitoring visit.

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Reasonable progress

The proportion of learners who passed the examinations they took in June 2015 improved significantly when compared to previous groups of learners. However, the proportion of each group of learners who complete their studies and take examinations remains low, and too few achieve a grade C or above in GCSE or a grade B or above in A levels.

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Reasonable progress

Managers contracted with a new provider in September 2015, which is now responsible for all new learners. The contract requires frequent and effective communication from tutors to learners to ensure that learners make good progress and meet deadlines for completing written work. The learning materials used by the new provider are presented and structured well, and can be adapted for those learners who have a learning difficulty, such as dyslexia. Learners who enrolled with the college before September 2015 have not transferred to the new subcontractor. College managers have tried to work with the previous subcontractor’s managers to improve the support and help for those learners making slow progress, but actions taken have not been effective. Monitoring visit: Marine Society College, 1 October 2015

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Reasonable progress

College managers are now monitoring the progress of learners more frequently. However, too many learners who enrolled prior to April 2015 are making insufficient or no progress towards achieving their qualification. Learners who enrolled after April 2015 are making better progress, and those who have enrolled very recently are making very significant progress. Managers are now contacting learners more often and offering extra help, support and guidance where a learner is falling behind their expected rate of progress, but this action is not yet proving effective.

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Reasonable progress

Managers are now using data better to evaluate whether learners are making good progress, and to identify those who are receiving extra help and those who need additional interventions from the Royal Navy education staff. Although managers have analysed data for the past three years they have not been able to identify any patterns in the reasons why learners make slow progress or fail to achieve. Data show that too many learners who enrolled prior to April 2015 have not handed in their work for some months; managers should identify which of these learners would respond to further interventions and support to complete their assignments, and which should be recorded as having withdrawn from the programme. Learners who enrolled after April 2015 received improved advice, guidance and early assessment of their skills in English and mathematics and managers believe that this has resulted in them making better progress.

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Reasonable progress

College managers have re-established links with the Royal Navy Education Officer and the Maritime Skills Alliance. They are initially using these links to help learners who fall behind their expected rate of progress to catch up with their work and prepare for the examinations for which they enrolled. These links will be used in the future to ensure that qualifications offered by the Marine Society College meet the needs of Royal and merchant navy staff. Monitoring visit: Marine Society College, 1 October 2015

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Reasonable progress

Managers have ensured that Disclosure and Barring Service checks are in place or are in the process of being completed for those tutors from the new provider who will have contact with Marine Society College learners. Managers have ensured that the contract with this new provider includes appropriate arrangements to ensure the safeguarding of its learners. Since the previous reinspection visit Marine Society College staff have completed further safeguarding training, and as a result they have improved the pre-course information given to learners by including information on staying safe. Managers have updated the safeguarding policy to include the requirements of the government’s ‘Prevent’ strategy. However, leaders and managers need to do more work to ensure that the college fully meets its new duties. Work is underway to also include guidance on ‘Prevent’ in the pre-course information for learners.

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Reasonable progress

Monitoring visit: Marine Society College, 1 October 2015 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231 or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit

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Reasonable progress

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk . Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn . Ofsted

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Reasonable progress

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