16-19 Participation in education

Written Evidence Submitted by Stoke-on-Trent Children and Young People’s Services

1 Impact of the withdrawal of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for Stoke-on-Trent resident learners

1.1 Stoke-on-Trent was one of the original EMA pilot areas in the 1998-99 academic year. EMA was introduced nationally in 04/05 for all 16 year old school leavers and for 17 and 18 year olds in former pilot areas, of which the City was one. In 2006/07 EMA became available to all 16, 17 and 18 year olds nationally.

1.2 EMA take-up among Stoke resident 16, 17 and 18 year olds has risen from 2759 in 2004/05 to 4169 in 2009/10. 4169 represents around 50% of the 16-18 population.

1.3 Over 50% of the 16-18 cohort at the two colleges in the City claims EMA. This percentage has been increasing and will conceal much higher rates among particular groups of students on particular kinds of courses. One of the 3 City school 6th forms has a similar rate. Responses from 4 of the 6 major training providers in the City indicates that there are even higher percentages of young people claiming EMA (although much smaller numbers) who are on Foundation Learning (formerly E2E) programmes – between 62% and 81%.

1.4Post 16 education and training providers also comment that EMA is a significant incentive for young people from low income families, of which there are many in the City. EMA also acts as a sanction for providers to apply where there are instances of poor attendance, timekeeping or behaviour. EMA also supports travel costs, making it easier for young people to travel to the college or training centre of their choice. There is a possibility that the new discretionary learner support funding will not cover travel costs.

2 Participation rates

2.1 City 16 year old 'staying -on' rates (i.e. full time further education in a 6th form or college) stood at 56.3% in 1998. In 1999 (the year EMA was introduced in a number of pilot areas including Stoke-on Trent) ‘staying- on’ in full time education rose to 65% and has gone on rising. In 2009 it stood at 80.5%. The percentage of 17 year olds (who are also able to claim EMA) who remain in full time further education now stands at 63.2% (up from 53.5% in 2007). The figure for 18 year olds is unclear at this stage.

3 Impact of withdrawal of EMA

3.1 In the absence of detail about the replacement for EMA – discretionary learner support - FSM is one well-known indicator that might be akin to the narrower and more targeted criteria likely to be used in determining eligibility for discretionary learner support. On this basis between 20% and 30% of 16- to -18 year olds in the next ten years would lose access to funding for participation in FE, work-based Foundation Learning and ESF programmes.

3.2 More immediately, taking 2011-12 as the first full academic year for which EMA ceases to be available, and using their FSM take-up as a guide, this would mean that around 20% (1600) of 16-18 year olds would be able to claim for discretionary learner support (dependent on the size of the budget) with 30% (2400) of 16-18 year olds unable to claim financial support.

25th March 2011