Access to HEat Morley College

Carole PreenAccess to Higher Education Manager

www.morleycollege.ac.uk

Our Location

Celebrating 125 years

One of London’s SDIs

• We are one of four adult education providers in London that is categorised as a Specialist Designated Institution under the terms of the Education Act 1992.

• As an Adult only college, we can provide a very different learning environment, which is calm and welcoming, studying alongside other adults.

• Due to our range of departments there are lots of free activities in the week, such as lunchtime music concerts, dance performances and exhibitions in our foyer and gallery – all free of charge.

Subjects Offered • Business Studies• Fashion• Education Studies• Health & Human Sciences• Science & Medical Science• Nursing• Midwifery• Music & Music Technology• Humanities• Social Science, Social Work & Law

Current Partner Universities

Types of Students

• The majority of our Access learners reside in Lambeth and Southwark and many of them claim benefits and have children so rely on funding and childcare support.

• The profile of our learners is significantly different to the national profile of Access students as published by the QAA in their Key Statistics 2013. These are our 13/14 figures:

• Black, 20% (50%) • White, 67% (22%) • Mixed and Any Other, 3% (25%) • Aged between 19 and 54 years of age• The majority of learners are female 66% and 34% male and this is

mainly due to the larger nursing and midwifery cohorts. The QAA 13/14 national figures are 73% female and 27% male.

Entry Requirements

• New issue – GCSE grade A-C requirement for maths & English and many Access applicants do not have these

• Some universities not accepting Functional Skills level 2

• The need to have undertaken work or voluntary work experience in certain areas

• Maths and English assessments• Interview (detailed A&G)

GCSE v. Functional Skills

• The Education and Funding Foundation Report (March 2015) gives interesting statistics:

• In the year 2013/14, 37% of learners aged 16–18 did not achieve grades A*-C in both maths and English GCSE.

• According to the QAA Access to HE website, “The Access to Higher Education Diploma is a qualification which prepares people without traditional qualifications for study at university”.

• The Access Diploma therefore tends to attract people who did not do well at school but want to get back on track and now that we are telling them they need their GCSEs to get onto an Access programme; however, “Some learners, having found GCSE difficult in the past, are daunted by the prospect of taking it again”, which defeats the ethos of reaching out to all.

• So what about Functional Skills?

Facts on Functional Skills

• “Functional Skills are gaining widespread recognition across small and large employers. Employers who know about them like the approach they embody i.e. applied skills, flexible assessment and problem solving” (Education & Training Foundation, 2015).

• However, many universities offering vocational degrees are not accepting Functional Skills at level 2 in maths and English as they are not valued as academic equivalences.

• Since the QAA removed the GCSE equivalences from the Access Diploma, there should be a way of offering an accepted alternative that is fit for purpose so as to remove the barriers for students who are fearful of repeating their failings in GCSEs at school.

• Not tackling the problem will lead to a decrease in applications to Access to HE and as a result, a drop in applications to universities from mature learners.

Induction

• Induction Pack – includes QAA/OCN rules for Access programmes

• Book lists – how to use library/computers/wifi• College rules – student handbook• What support is available for 24+ Loan

students• Advice from some of last year’s students• Dyslexia screening

Support Structure

• Each cohort has a Personal Tutor• 2 hour group tutorial each week; focus on UCAS in

term 1; preparation for interviews term 2; student finance term 3

• ALS support; include 1:1 sessions for declared or discovered learning disabilities; counselling service

• Student service support; guidance on finance, applying for jobs; UCAS; links to local organisations

Success & Progression

• Students at Morley enjoy a good level of success at around 77% (static for the past 3 years) compared to the QAA figures (2013/14)of the national average at 69%.

• All students who remain on programme achieve their diplomas but inevitably some adult learners leave the programme in year due to personal/financial issues.

• Progression data to university shows 91% in 12/13 and 88% in 13/14. QAA figures (2013/14) show the national average as 68%.

Barriers to Progression

• High University Entry Requirements – for example, 45 credits at merit and distinction. No allowance for passes whilst getting back into study in term 1.

• Only accept GCSEs and not Functional Skills: City University for Nursing “We will not accept any UK equivalency qualifications, only GCSEs”.

Barriers to Progression

• Not many Universities have adapted to the changes in Access (only 45 graded credits now - the ABB equivalency was set at a time when you could achieve 60 graded credits)

• E.g. for Physiotherapy at Hertfordshire University “Pass Access Diploma to include at least 45 Level 3 credits at distinction”.

• Some universities are also requiring a GCSE in Biology as well as the Access Diploma (e.g. KCL).

Barriers to Progression

• Some universities do not fully understand the Access programme and types of learners; give up a great deal to come back to study (family/work commitments/finances to juggle)

• Adult learners are more committed to their study choices and change in career progression but may not have studied for years – therefore likely to get passes in term 1.

QAA Requirements

• Grading averages- Each year AVAs provide their centres with grading data

• It compares college grade profile data with AVA’s data from across their region.

• For 2013/14 OCN London overall percentages were:

• This has to fall in-line with A levels results by percentage, which for 2013/14 were:

Pass: 40.1% Merit: 33.9% Distinction: 26%

E = 6.5% D = 14.8% C = 24.3% B = 26.4% A/A* = 26.3%

(National percentages figures for A level grades 2014 available at http://www.bstubbs.co.uk/a-lev.htm)

Problems for Colleges

• Unconditional offers from universities do cause us a problem and affect our success rates adversely.

• Students drop off their Access course as they “don’t need it” (even if they have the 24+ loan)

• College has invested time and effort in the student – help with UCAS application and reference/study skills support/ALS support

• Solution – no unconditional offers should be given to students currently on an Access course

Case Studies

Case Studies:

Three of our Access to Midwifery students from 2013 “in uniform” studying at Kings College London.

Case

Case Studies:

Dennis Aboagye now in his third year studying Physiotherapy at St Georges University London (pictured with Marisa Castellini at the OCN Conference 2013)

Case Studies:

Safiya Wilson completed an Access to Health & Human Sciences Diploma at Morley in June 2013. She is now in her second year at UEL studying podiatry

“I think the Access course really prepared me for university. Everything we learnt I have needed for

assignments. In the first year we did a lot of general science and I don't think I would of passed if it wasn't for the biochemistry we did at Morley, as we work at

such a fast pace at university”.

What our students tell us once they have started university:“I just wanted to say thank you. I got my first essay feedback and my tutor asked me if I’d been to university before!”Muna Elmi (Access to Health & Human Sciences 2014) - now studying Occupational Therapy at Brunel University.

What our students tell us once they have started university:“I am absolutely loving university and I find that Morley helped me a great deal. So far I feel confident in my lectures and assignments. In a lecture my tutor used my example because I defined why I was using a certain method. I felt very pleased with myself. I would I like to thank you and all my teachers at Morley because I would not be here without your help and guidance”.

Jamie Ocampo – Access to HHS – now studying Health Promotion at UEL

Jamie pictured in the centre with her peers outside the Hunterian Museum; Royal College of Surgeons, London.

What our students tell us once they have started university:“I will never have enough words to express my gratitude. I can assure you I will do my best to positively represent Morley College at Queen Mary University”Mirhani Said – Access to Science – now studying Biomedical Sciences at Queen Mary University

What our students tell us once they have started university:“I just wanted to say a big thank you for getting us all through the Access course last year. It has definitely given me and Tom a bit of a head start in Anatomy & Physiology at Kings’!”Helen Barraclough (Access to Health & Human Sciences 2014) – now study physiotherapy at Kings College London.

Helen (right) pictured with Ela Piatrowska (former Morley Principal) at the Access Graduation Ceremony 2014

What our students tell us once they have started university:

Now we are looking forward to "Hoovering in" everything we can because every corner is a new experience with something new to learn and even on the first day, Morley’s background is already helping us a lot.

Students studying at Middlesex University from last year’s Music Access Diploma

Questions?