This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Physics Student Demographics by College + School Group for Offers'.


UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD 
University Offices, Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JD 
 
 
Ref. FOI/20200628/1 
24 July 2020 
Reply to request for information under the Freedom of Information Act  
Your ref 
Email of 28 June 
I write with two requests 

 
In the first instance, I request a demographic breakdown for your current Physics 
undergraduate cohort as follows: 
* Per college - numbers (and proportions) broken down by EU/non-EU/UK region  
Request 
 
I also wish to request a breakdown for your applications and offers for 2020, 2019 and 2018 
entry 
* Per College - numbers (and proportions) broken down by school group (overseas, 
independent, state grammar, state non-selective)  
 
I wish this information to be furnished as two separate worksheets. 
 
Dear Louisa Kelly-Martin, 
I write in reply to your email requesting the above information, which you may find attached.  
The second part of your request is for detailed individual level data. We consider that disclosure of this 
information in the form requested might enable those with access to other information or knowledge to 
identify individuals and learn new information about those individuals. For this reason, we have taken the 
following measure to reduce the risk of identification: 
ï‚·  We  have  provided  the  data  on  colleges,  applications,  and  offers,  on  separate  tabs  from  the 
remainder of the information, which have been independently sorted. 
In taking this measure, we are applying the exemption in section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 
(FOIA). Section 40(2) provides an exemption from disclosure for information that is the personal data of an 
individual other than the requester, where disclosure would breach any of the data protection principles in 
Article 5 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We consider that disclosure of the information 
requested in the exact form requested would breach the first data protection principle, which requires that 
personal data is processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner. Disclosure would be unfair to the 
individuals concerned, as it would be contrary to their reasonable and legitimate expectations. They would not 
reasonably expect that information relating to their application to Oxford would be made public under the 
FOIA without their consent.  
For the disclosure of personal data to be lawful, it must have a lawful basis under Article 6 of the GDPR. There 
are six possible lawful bases in Article 6; we do not consider that any of them would be satisfied in respect of 
the disclosure. 
 



The exemption in section 40(2) is an absolute exemption and is not subject to the public interest test provided 
for in section 2(2)(b) of the FOIA. To the extent that the public interest is relevant in this case, the University 
considers it is satisfied by the information provided. 
 
 
INTERNAL REVIEW 
You may request an internal review of this response by e-mailing xxx@xxxxx.xx.xx.xx. A request for internal 
review should be submitted no later than 40 working days from the date of this letter. 
THE INFORMATION COMMISSIONER 
If, after the internal review, you are still dissatisfied, you have the right under FOIA to apply to the Information 
Commissioner for a decision as to whether your request has been dealt with in accordance with the FOIA. You 
can do this online using the Information Commissioner’s complaints portal. 
Yours sincerely 
Information Compliance Team