Sparkling Inspection for South Tyneside College Marine School
South Tyneside College has reaffirmed its status among the world's premier maritime training centres having received an exemplary report from the UK government on its teaching staff and facilities.
Inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) attended the college over two weeks in January, scrutinising the quality of courses in every part of the School of Maritime Studies & Engineering, including the multi-million pound Marine Simulation Centre and the Marine Safety Training Centre.
All Nautical Science and Marine Engineering courses were identified for particular praise, achieving an exceptional grade 1 rating. The inspectors commented on the outstanding quality of teaching and the wide range of courses on offer, combined with high pass rates and excellent attendance rates on each course. The Faculty of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, which provides some marine courses, was also praised.
The self-assessment mechanism for lecturing staff, which operates throughout the college, was commended for its effectiveness in ensuring that the high quality of teaching is maintained.
The report will reinforce South Tyneside College's international reputation for quality maritime training, building on its status as the UK's National Nautical Centre for Excellence. Companies who use the College for training include BP, Shell, P&O/Princess Cruises, P&O Nedlloyd, Maersk, Clyde Marine and a large number of companies from the Arabian Gulf and the Far East.
Commenting on the report, the chairman of governors, Denis Lynch said: "We are particularly pleased to see the high overall standards of performance and wish to congratulate all staff and students on an excellent report."
College principal, John Wells said: "This really is an excellent result for all of our maritime education and training departments, recognising the hard work and commitment of both lecturing and support staff. It also confirms what our students already know, that the training they receive here is among the best in the world."
In summary, the OFSTED report said: "The college is the major provider of Marine Engineering courses in the United Kingdom and the quality of its work is recognised internationally."
It went on: "Staff are active nationally in working with a wide range of maritime companies and in reviewing and rewriting national standards for maritime operations. New courses have been developed and approved, including a range of Vessel Traffic Management (VTS) courses degrees in marine engineering and marine operations.
Never complacent, the college is continually looking at ways in which training provision can be improved further, adapting to the rapidly changing needs of the maritime industry. All recommendations in the report will be acted upon, ensuring that the standards praised by OFSTED are maintained and improved for future generations.
