Setting

Grading

Inspectors use a four-point scale to summarise their judgements about the quality of learning sessions. The descriptors for the four grades are:

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Grading

• grade 1 – outstanding • grade 2 –good • grade 3 – satisfactory • grade 4 – inadequate

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Grading

Inspectors use a five-point scale to summarise their judgements about the quality of provision in occupational/curriculum areas and Jobcentre Plus programmes. The same scale is used to describe the quality of leadership and management, which includes quality assurance and equality of opportunity. The descriptors for the five grades are:

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Grading

• grade 1 – outstanding • grade 2 – good • grade 3 – satisfactory • grade 4 – unsatisfactory • grade 5 – very weak.

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Adult Learning Inspectorate

The Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) was established under the provisions of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 to bring the inspection of all aspects of adult learning and work-based learning within the remit of a single inspectorate. The ALI is responsible for inspecting a wide range of government-funded learning, including:

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Adult Learning Inspectorate

• work-based learning for all people over 16 • provision in further education colleges for people aged 19 and over • learndirect provision • Adult and Community Learning • training funded by Jobcentre Plus • education and training in prisons, at the invitation of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons.

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Adult Learning Inspectorate

Inspections are carried out in accordance with the Common Inspection Framework by teams of full-time inspectors and part-time associate inspectors who have knowledge of, and experience in, the work which they inspect. All providers are invited to nominate a senior member of their staff to participate in the inspection as a team member.

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Reinspection report

Key Findings 2 WHITBY AND DISTRICT FISHING INDUSTRY TRAINING SCHOOL LIMITED REINSPECTION

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

1. Whitby and District Fishing Industry Training School Limited (WDFITS) is a private training company which was established in 2002. WDFITS was formed to provide new entrants to the coastal fishing fleet in the northeast, covering Whitby and its immediate district. The provider now recruits learners nationally. It has a contract with North Yorkshire Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to provide apprenticeship programmes in sea fishing. There are two full-time members of staff, two part-time members of staff, and six sessional tutors. WDFITS is overseen by a governing board comprising a number of local business people.

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Land-based provision

2. WDFITS delivers apprenticeship training in sea fishing. Learners work towards a national vocational qualification (NVQ) at level 2 in marine vessel support, and deckhand (sea fishing), and key skills qualifications at level 1 in communication, application of number, working with others, and problem solving. Learners also work for certificates in first aid, firefighting, health and safety, and basic sea survival. In addition, learners receive literacy and numeracy training and support where appropriate. All off-the-job training is delivered at the WDFITS’s premises in Whitby, with on-the-job training being provided by the owners of local fishing trawlers. Learners are recruited from various regions of the United Kingdom, and are placed in local accommodation for the duration of their programmes. WDFITS currently has 16 learners.

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ABOUT THE REINSPECTION

Number of inspectors 2 Number of inspection days 6 Number of learner interviews 7 Number of staff interviews 5 Number of employer interviews 2 Number of locations/sites/learning centres visited 1 Number of partner/external agency interviews 4

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OVERALL JUDGEMENT

3. At the previous inspection, leadership and management were unsatisfactory. Quality assurance arrangements were unsatisfactory, but equality of opportunity provision was satisfactory. The land-based provision was unsatisfactory. At the end of the reinspection process, all aspects of the provision were found to be satisfactory. WHITBY AND DISTRICT FISHING INDUSTRY TRAINING SCHOOL LIMITED REINSPECTION

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GRADES

grade1= outstanding, grade 2= good, grade 3= satisfactory, grade 4= unsatisfactory, grade 5= very weak

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Leadership and management 4

Contributory grades: Equality of opportunity 3 Quality assurance 4

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Land-based provision Grade 4

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade Sea Fishing – work-based learning for young people 18 4

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Leadership and management 3

Contributory grades: Equality of opportunity 3 Quality assurance 3

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Land-based provision Grade 3

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade Sea Fishing – apprenticeships for young people 16 3

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Achievement and standards

4. WDFITS provides a good range of additional qualifications for learners. During induction, learners are trained in sea survival, first aid, firefighting and health and safety. All learners have passed these courses successfully and have received certificates. These certificates allow the learners to work aboard registered vessels, and significantly improve learners’ employment prospects. In addition, learners also achieve well-recognised certificated qualifications in vessel stability, basic food hygiene, radar operation, diesel engine maintenance, VHF radio operation, trawl gear technology, and cargo handling and stowing. The qualifications are valued by the skippers of vessels and enable learners to work on a wider range of vessels within the fishing industry and in the merchant marine service. These qualifications prepare the learners well for entry to the fishing industry and this preparation for employment was identified as strength in the previous inspection.

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Achievement and standards

5. Completion levels of the apprenticeship framework are low. At the previous inspection no learners had completed the framework. Currently, completion rates are still low, but they are improving. Five learners have completed the apprenticeship framework since the previous inspection. The new director of learning took up the post in August 2005. He and the other staff implemented a review of recruitment and retention of learners. Objective recruitment criteria have been developed and are used to select learners more carefully. Of the 11 learners who have been recruited against these new criteria, 10 are still in training and are making good progress. Two learners have already completed their key skills training. WHITBY AND DISTRICT FISHING INDUSTRY TRAINING SCHOOL LIMITED REINSPECTION

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The quality of provision

6. A scheme of work has been developed and there are now basic lesson plans. These plans and the NVQ standards are displayed on the classroom walls for learners and tutors. The off-the-job training scheme has been revised and a two-week period at sea is included as soon as learners have achieved the mandatory qualifications. This development has been successful and has motivated the learners. Tutors plan a range of activities, which includes visits to the fish quays and fish stores, to add to the learners’ experiences. These activities are valued and enjoyed by the learners. A training vessel is chartered for five days during the induction period to familiarise learners with the sea and to provide a realistic environment for training.

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The quality of provision

7. All the learning sessions and progress reviews that were observed by inspectors were satisfactory or better. Improving the standards of teaching and learning has been a priority for the school. All tutors have received an intensive one-day staff development session which included observations of their teaching and a detailed individual action plan to help them improve. Further staff development is planned.

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The quality of provision

8. Initial assessment is thorough and is used to plan the learners’ training and support needs. Assessment and verification are satisfactory. All tutors have assessor qualifications. Alternative methods of assessing learners at sea, which include video and audio recordings, are being investigated.

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The quality of provision

9. The director of training has carried out an audit of the training opportunities on each of the fishing vessels used. Learners are matched carefully to vessels according to their training and personal needs. Where all the learning objectives cannot be met by one work placement, learners are moved to other vessels. This development is working well.

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The quality of provision

10. WDFITS provides particularly good pastoral and training support to its learners. Many of the learners are away from home for the first time and live in local boarding accommodation. This is sourced and monitored by WDFITS. There is a pastoral care team of volunteers, and a 24-hour rota to deal with any problems such as accommodation difficulties, or problems with adjusting to the demands of life at sea. Learners receive guidance at their induction about the support available. Progress reviews are frequent and thorough and a number of learners receive individual support to help them to complete their apprenticeship frameworks successfully.

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Leadership and management

11. The board of directors provides strong leadership for the training school and includes a wide range of expertise. Board meetings are well attended, well run and focused clearly on training priorities. There are detailed discussions of individual learners’ progress, and board members display very good knowledge of learners’ needs and situations. Directors have a good knowledge of regional, national and European issues affecting the fishing industry and make good use of this knowledge in strategic decision-making. The board of directors has accessed a good range of funding sources to support training and improve learners’ experiences.

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Leadership and management

12. WDFITS has good links with the fishing industry, and is well supported by it. WDFITS’s directors include major trawler fleet owners, and representatives of large fishery companies, the local business development agency and chamber of trade, a regional maritime training college, the missions to seafarers, and the national federation of fishery organisations. Local skippers and crews are strongly supportive of the provider and consider the training given to learners to be of a high standard. WDFITS offers learners a very wide range of placement WHITBY AND DISTRICT FISHING INDUSTRY TRAINING SCHOOL LIMITED REINSPECTION

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Leadership and management

© ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE opportunities on vessels in the Whitby and east coast fishing fleets. Many employers offer the provider opportunities for its learners to visit premises to observe the handling, storage and sale of fish. The lead industry body and other organisations provide financial support for learning resources, protective clothing and to fund the training vessel.

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Leadership and management

13. Action-planning continues to be a strong feature of the programme. The post-inspection action plan successfully identified the main areas in need of improvement. Managers have carried out this plan rigorously. Since the previous inspection, much has been done to improve the linkage between on- and off-the-job training. Communications are good among directors, learners and skippers. An informative and well-presented newsletter is now available and has been well received.

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Leadership and management

14. Improving the retention and achievement rates of learners is WDFITS key objective. The provider now has systems for monitoring learners’ progress, and the board of directors receives regular reports about learners’ progress. Many new measures have been implemented to improve retention rates and to encourage learners to succeed.

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Leadership and management

15. There is insufficient observation of teaching and learning. WDFITS’s introduced an observation scheme in the summer of 2005, but only five observations have been carried out so far. The paperwork for the recording of observation outcomes has been improved, and a standardisation exercise has been carried out with support from the local LSC. The director of training plans to observe all staff at least three times each year, and a schedule of observations has recently been devised, but this is not yet used by staff.

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Leadership and management

16. Equality of opportunity is not promoted sufficiently in learning sessions. Learners receive some equality of opportunity training as part of their induction, but there is no formal reinforcement of this information during the rest of the training programme.

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Leadership and management

The following strengths and weaknesses were identified during this inspection:

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Strengths

• strong leadership by the board of directors • good links with and support from the fishing industry

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Weaknesses

• insufficient observation of teaching and learning • weak promotion of equality of opportunity in teaching and learning

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Strengths

• good achievement of additional qualifications • good pastoral and learning support for learners

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Weaknesses

• low achievement level of apprenticeship frameworks

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