Education Maintenance Allowance: Barnet

Mr. Dismore
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students in Barnet have (a) applied for, (b) enrolled for and (c) received an education maintenance allowance during the 2007-08 academic year; what assessment he has made of the effect of education maintenance allowances on staying-on rates in education in Barnet; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight
The LSC operate the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) scheme for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and hold the information about take-up and payments made under the scheme. Mark Haysom, the LSC’s chief executive, will write to the hon. Gentleman with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

We do not collect information on the impact of EMA specific to Barnet, however EMA was subject to a thorough evaluation during its pilot stage. The results indicated an increase in participation by 16-year-olds of 3.8 per cent. points nationally and 4.1 per cent. points nationally for 17-year-olds.

In addition a further analysis of the impact of EMA on participation and attainment was commissioned by the LSC and a copy of the results, with a summary of the key findings, was placed in the House Library on 3 December 2007.

Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 23 January 2008:

I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question that asked; "How many students in Barnet have (a) applied for, (b) enrolled on a course to be supported by and (c) received an education maintenance allowance during the current academic year; what assessment he has made of the effect of education maintenance allowances on staying on rates in education in Barnet."

EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.

The following table shows EMA applicants, enrolments and take-up for Barnet Local Authority Area:

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|                     |Number|
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|Applications received|3,172 |
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|Enrolled applicants  |2,719 |
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|Scheme take-up       |2,628 |
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EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07 and to date in 2007/08 is now also available on the LSC website, at the following address:

http://www.lsc.gov.uk/providers/Data/statistics/learner/EMA_take_up.htm