Tom Bonnick via e-mail 
[FOI #13742 email]
 
 
16 July 2009 
 
Dear Mr Bonnick, 
 
Freedom of Information Request - RFI20090923 
 
Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“the Act”) received on 25 
June 2009, seeking the following information: 
  
‘…what percentage of the BBC's graduate employees were educated at one of the colleges of 
either University of Cambridge or University of Oxford.’ 
 
The BBC has not previously monitored information relating to the educational background of our 
staff.  However, we have recently begun to collect this information for job applicants.  During the 
period October 2006 and July 2009, BBC HR Direct Recruitment handled 11,353 joiners.  Of this 
number, 520 had attended either Cambridge or Oxford universities: this represents 4.6% of all joiners. 
 
For staff who joined prior to October 2006, this information would only be available from individuals’ 
application forms held by BBC HR Direct Recruitment, which are kept for three years from the date 
of application and then destroyed.  It is likely, therefore, that the educational details for many staff 
currently employed would no longer be held.  In the case of individuals for whom the information you 
requested is still held, we anticipate that it would take BBC staff more than two and a half days to 
retrieve the information from individuals’ application forms.  Under section 12 of the Act, we are 
allowed to refuse to handle the request if it would exceed the appropriate limit.  The appropriate 
limit has been set by the Regulations (SI 2004/3244) as being £450 (equivalent to two and a half days 
work, at an hourly rate of £25). 
 
I hope this response satisfies your request. 
 
 
 
 
 

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Your Appeal Rights: 
 
If you are not satisfied with this response you have the right to an internal review by a BBC senior 
manager.  Please contact us at the following address: BBC Freedom of Information, Room 2252, 
White City, 201 Wood Lane, London W12 7TS, explaining what you would like us to review and 
including your reference number: If you are not satisfied with the internal review, you can appeal to 
the Information Commissioner.  The contact details are: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe 
House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, telephone 01625 545 700 or see 
http://www.ico.gov.uk/ 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
 
Mary Geoghegan 
BBC People 
 

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