Access to HE
at Morley College
Carole Preen
Access 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
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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:
Pass: 40.1%
Merit: 33.9%
Distinction: 26%
• This has to fall in-line with A levels results by
percentage, which for 2013/14 were:
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?