Has anyone found useful, accessible guidance on EMA?

I'm interested mainly in the rules (if any) on attendance - what constitutes an authorised absence and in what circumstances EMA can be withheld for poor attendance.

I've looked in the usual places (CPAG, etc) and Googled, but am so far only getting very basic stuff or guides produced by individual educational establishments which are better, but I'd rather have something more official.

Thanks,

Sue

Hi Sue

You can find what you are looking for in the Education Maintenance Allowance (Pilot Area) Regulations 2000, SI 2000/2012 and the Education Maintenance Allowance (Pilot Area) Regulations 2001, SI 2001/2750. These were made under sections 518 and 569(4) of the Education Act 1996. The 2001 regs were revoked in 2004 but as far as I am aware the 2000 regs are still in force. EMA’s were actually first piloted in 1999 but I cannot find the earlier regs but they will probably be in the same terms. I also cannot find any later regs still in force.

There are similar enabling provisions under sections 181 and 182 of the Education Act 2002 but I don’t know if these have come into force yet.

Generally, a person will have to sign a learning agreement and provide time sheets. There is a right of appeal and the individual circumstance of the student will be taken into account. Hope this helps.

Link to the regs - http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2000/20002012.htm

Regards
Paul

On reading the explanatory note it seems that the regs also revoke the 1999 Regs.

Thanks!

As far as I am aware the current scheme is administered through a guidance document available here:

http://ema.lsc.gov.uk/ema-guidance/guidance+2007-08/

There are also some supporting documents here:
http://ema.lsc.gov.uk/ema-guidance/support-documents-2006-2007/

Victoria
www.litrg.org.uk