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Data Protection & FOI
Legal Services
UCL

Dear Mr Ferreira,

We have completed the compilation of information in response to your request.

We can confirm that we do hold information of the description specified in your request. Where this information is held and is not exempt, it is provided in the attached.

*****************YOUR REQUEST AND THE RESPONSE FROM UCL******************

Please can I request the following data for the 2016 application cycle (2017 Entry) for Medicine (A100):

1) The number of GCSEs each applicant applied with, and itemised grades (e.g. 3A*s 4As 1B)

Your request concerns the personal data of a third party, in this case individual applicants. This is exempt information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) section 40(2) – Personal Information
by virtue of Section 40(3)(a)(i). Section 40(2) of the FOIA allows a public authority to withhold information under the FOIA where (i) the requested information is personal data relating to someone other than the requester and (ii) its disclosure would breach any of the Data Protection principles.

In this case we believe that the requested information could relate to and identify individuals and therefore would be personal data. Although there are no directly identifiable details within the data being disclosed, that data may be used by ‘motivated intruders’ and other knowledgeable third parties to identify information on particular students as part of a jigsaw-effect. This is where strands of data available to an individual can be put together to create personal data not in the public domain. There would be no expectation that this type of information would be disclosed to the wider public and it would be considered unfair to do so.

2) The predicted and achieved grades in A-levels or any relevant qualification

This information is exempt. Please see our response to (1) above.

3) The type of school the applicant attended (i.e. State Maintained (and Grammar itemised separately), Independent etc.) at the time of GCSEs and then A-levels.

See attached. Please note that almost half of the candidates applied from a ‘Not Applicable’ school because they were applying from overseas, online in the UK, or from a university.

We do not hold GCSE school type data.

4) The 'contextual score' assigned to each applicant to show under/over-performance contextually.

This information is not held because a contextual score is not assigned to applications.

5) Whether the applicant qualified for 'extenuating circumstances'.

This information is not held because 'extenuating circumstances’ is not applied to applicants.

6) The BMAT scores in each section.

This is exempt information. Please see our response to (1) above.

7) The outcome of application and college allocated to.

This is exempt information. Please see our response to (1) above.

8) If rejected, a generalised reason as to why.

Please find attached.

*****************YOUR REQUEST AND THE RESPONSE FROM UCL******************

You are free to use any information supplied for your own use, including for non-commercial research purposes. The information may also be used for the purposes of news reporting. However, any other type of re-use, for example by publishing or issuing copies to the public, will require the permission of the copyright owner.

If you are unhappy with our response to your request and wish to make a complaint or request a review of our decision, please email [email address]. Emails should include the words ‘Internal Review’ in the subject and be marked For the Attention of the Vice Provost Operations, alternatively you should write to:

Vice Provost Operations
University College London
1-19 Torrington Place
London WC1E 7HB

Please note, complaints and requests for internal review received more than two months after the initial decision will not be handled.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner at the address given below. You should do this within two months of our final decision.

If you have any queries or concerns, please contact me using the details provided in this letter and including the request reference number.

Further information on the Freedom of Information Act is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office:

Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
SK9 5AF

Telephone 01625 545700
www.ico.org.uk
[email address]

Yours sincerely,

Lee Shailer
Data Protection and Freedom of Information Officer
University College London
Legal Services, Finance and Business Affairs
6th Floor, 1-19 Torrington Place
London, WC1E 7HB

Tel: 020 3108 8726 (internal ext 58726)
Fax: 020 7679 7193
E-mail: [email address]