The Pioneer Sailing Trust

The Pioneer Sailing Trust

Address: Harkers Yard, Shipyard Estate, Copperas Road, Brightlingsea, Colchester, CO7 0AR Unique reference number (URN): 2804873

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, learners are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect providers for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The provider has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The provider has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have established a safe and inclusive culture where apprentices feel welcomed and valued. Leaders are ambitious for all learners to thrive. They ensure that apprentices with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve in line with their peers. Leaders consider inclusion as being essential for marine heritage skills to survive in the future.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders ensure that they establish apprentices' existing skills, experience and support needs at the start of the programme. Leaders share this information with tutors on a case- by-case basis. Leaders and tutors discuss what adjustments they need to make in the workshop to ensure that apprentices thrive. These include the use of video evidence rather than written evidence, use of calculators and visual artefacts. This helps apprentices to visualise the task in hand, access the taught curriculum and fully participate in lessons.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders plan teaching for very small cohorts of apprentices. This enables tutors to respond to each apprentice's questions and challenges, such as repeating demonstrations and providing further explanations. Tutors react patiently and effectively to meet apprentice’s needs. Leaders recognise the need to improve tailored planning for apprentices from the start of the programme. This would support any future growth in the number of apprentices with barriers to learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and trustees have a good understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement for the apprenticeship. They have reviewed the curriculum to update the joinery skills needed for boat building. They have extended the course duration to allow more time for apprentices to hone their skills and produce a higher calibre of workmanship.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Trustees have a good understanding of the needs of individual apprentices and the adjustments made for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or barriers to learning. They use their knowledge effectively to support and challenge leaders. Since the monitoring visit, trustees have improved how they maintain oversight, such as standing agenda items and reports for quality of teaching and safeguarding. They talk directly to apprentices to check the information that leaders provide.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders, staff and trustees have suitable expertise of working in education, including SEND, and marine heritage engineering. They have extensive networks in the marine sector, which they use to benefit apprentices. Staff participate in professional development activities to maintain their skills and knowledge. However, leaders do not provide training to further develop tutors' teaching skills or support them to gain teaching qualifications.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff enjoy the supportive, trusting and teamworking culture at Pioneer Sailing Trust. Staff's workload and work-life balance are frequently checked by managers who remind tutors to take back time owed. Trustees visit staff in the workshops, taking an interest in their work. Staff are listened to and respected by leaders when considering curriculum changes.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices achieve their apprenticeship and secure sustained employment in the marine heritage engineering sector. However, too few achieve distinction grades in their final examination.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices develop new knowledge and skills, such as different methods of construction, joinery skills and how to maintain hand tools. They develop high standards of precision when using hand tools. Apprentices learn about the structure and operating systems of boats, such as engines, fuel systems, plumbing, rigging and the difference between swept deck and a straight-laid deck.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices develop an in-depth understanding of the marine heritage industry. They explain different stages of the renovation process, including wreckage recovery. Apprentices develop mathematical skills, such as how to interpret designs to produce scaled drawings for project work. They improve their mathematical skills by measuring and marking equipment with precision to cut materials, such as wood and metal, to expected industry tolerances.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have planned an ambitious and well-structured curriculum. Apprentices learn how to identify, maintain and use hand tools before using them to complete tasks. Tutors teach apprentices electrical principles and wiring, before they design and build a full electrical panel for a boat.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors use their expertise very effectively to provide apprentices with clear explanations. They explain how to convert and replicate measurements to the loft floor to represent the true dimensions of the boat’s hull. Tutors provide detailed technical explanations of the sequence of steps to ensure accuracy. When apprentices are confronted with a problem, tutors guide them to find their own solutions to develop independence. Apprentices use technical language fluently, such as king planks and covering boards.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors use formative assessment effectively to establish apprentices’ progress. This includes questioning, presentations, inspections of boats, professional discussions and a broad range of practical tasks. They assess evidence of apprentices' workplace products, including photographic evidence of their work. Apprentices benefit from extensive verbal feedback from tutors. This helps them to understand what they have achieved and what does not meet industry standards. Apprentices use this feedback effectively to improve the quality of their practical work. However, tutors' written feedback does not focus sufficiently on the areas apprentices need to improve.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors work closely with employers to teach the most useful topics early. Tutors prioritise teaching decking and planking to help apprentices with workplace projects. However, the on- and off-the-job training is not planned with employers to inform individualised training for each apprentice's workplace tasks.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Tutors set high expectations for professional behaviour in learning environments. Apprentices are diligent in their approach to learning tasks and look forward to their residential training weeks. They arrive on time, ready to work and ask intelligent questions to gain further understanding. They develop confidence, customer service and communication skills throughout their apprenticeship.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Managers frequently check on apprentices' wellbeing. Apprentices learn about healthy relationships. They discuss subjects such as misogyny and the dangers of online influencers in modern society. Tutors provide apprentices with guidance on how to maintain positive mental health and who to contact if they have any concerns. Apprentices learn about local risks and forms of radicalisation, such as involuntary celibates, drug dealing and county lines. Apprentices know to be vigilant to changes in behaviour and political views in others.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Tutors provide apprentices with guidance on career options in the marine sector. Tutors discuss with apprentices their individual aspirations, such as chartering and working abroad on specialist vessels. Apprentices learn how their skills will help them with future employment in other sectors. However, this is more informal and not yet fully structured to enable a planned approach to careers.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices say that the provider has exceeded their expectations. Staff motivate them to better themselves professionally and personally. Apprentices benefit from extensive resources for developing their boat building skills where they work on live projects, such as hull renovations. Tutors inspire them to develop a passion for boat building.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices develop significant confidence because of their training. They become more confident communicators, taking visitors on guided tours of the Pioneer boat. They give presentations to their peers to showcase their boatyard. Some apprentices progress from being anxious to featuring in promotional marketing films, explaining the process of boat renovation. Apprentices benefit from useful networking opportunities and visits. They learn about Women in Boatbuilding CIC, which aims to attract more women into the industry. They visit boatyards to look at Anglo-Saxon boats built from imprints in the mud and sector organisations, such as National Historic Ships and Spirit Yachts.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices feel safe, valued and included. They are respectful, and staff do not tolerate any inappropriate behaviours or language. Staff encourage open communication and bring apprentices together to reach mutual understandings so that there are harmonious working relationships. Leaders provide appropriate safeguarding arrangements for apprentices during residential training.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices with special educational needs and/or disabilities appreciate the support they receive. Tutors are patient and repeat teaching in the workshops where needed. Apprentices develop a better understanding of their learning need. Tutors help them work to their strengths and interests when planning assignments. Apprentices are supported effectively to become more independent and develop coping strategies to support them in the future.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices develop a good understanding of the importance of diversity and inclusion in modern Britain. They discuss the protected characteristics, using examples of unconscious bias and being thoughtful about choice of language and comments that may offend others.

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Next steps

Leaders should improve the professional learning for tutors to further develop their teaching skills to support apprentices with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders should improve the planning and monitoring of the support and adjustments made for apprentices with an identified need or barriers to learning. Leaders should work closer with employers to plan on- and off-the-job training to match apprentices individual tasks at work. Leaders should ensure that more apprentices achieve distinction grades in their final examinations. Leaders should further develop the careers education programme so that apprentices gain a deeper understanding of their potential future career pathways and how to pursue them.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with trustees, leaders, tutors, apprentices and employers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The Pioneer Sailing Trust (PST) is a small independent learning provider specialising in the marine sector. The trust was established in 1999 to recover the wreck of the Pioneer boat.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other providers can learn from it. PST works with the local community and charities to introduce young people to the marine industry. They provide live project work on heritage boats and are funded by the national lottery heritage fund. PST provide the training for skills and services that are on the Heritage Craft Association red list and categorised as endangered.

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Exceptional

PST is located on the Colchester coastline in Brightlingsea, Essex. At the time of the inspection, 9 apprentices were studying the level 3 heritage engineering marine technician apprenticeship. PST are the only provider for this niche apprenticeship. Apprentices work for employers in Essex, Norfolk, West Midlands, Cumbria, Isle of Wight and the south coast. They attend residential training in Brightlingsea.

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Exceptional

Chief Executive Officer: Felicity Scully

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Strong standard

The provider reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The provider is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The provider needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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