Dear Eddy Zou

This is to acknowledge receipt of your request for information below and to let you know it is being processed.

We'll get back to you as soon as we can, but in any case within 20 working days from 08/11/2022.

Please quote the reference number in the subject line in any future correspondence, thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Sinead Latham

Information Management & Policy Services (IMPS), University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AH
t: +44 (0)118 378 8981 www.reading.ac.uk/foia

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Dear Eddy Zou, 

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

We can confirm that we do hold the information specified in your request.
Our responses are given below each limb of your request below.

************ FOI RESPONSE ***********

1.                 The first year when the university started using
contextual data for admissions (in any form), and, if the university has
stopped doing this, the last year of this practice

The first year we used it was for 2019 entry. We still use Contextual data

2.                 For each year where the university uses contextual
admissions, the subjects or departments or schools that practice
contextual admissions

We make contextual offers for all of our programmes

3.                For each year where the university uses contextual
admissions, the list of indicators used. I would like this information on
a per-application year basis (as the university may have changed the
indicators). I would like to ask for detailed description of the
indicators, example descriptions include: if students’ postcode was in
bottom 2 quintile of Polar 3 index, if students have been in care for more
than 3 months

We have used the same indicators for all years the scheme has been in
process with one addition from 2022 onwards, they are:

• Live at an address with a postcode in POLAR quintile 1 or 2
• Live at an address with a postcode in IMD quintile 1 or 2
• Has declared a disability
• Is [1]a Reading scholar –

[2]https://www.reading.ac.uk/ready-to-study...

From 2022 entry onwards we now also give offers to applicants who have
achieved a 2:1 in their university-style assignment as part of the
Brilliant Club’s Seren award.

4.                 For each year where the university uses contextual
admissions, what the data are used for: flagging applicants, guaranteed
interviews, contextual offers

The data is used to give a contextual offer.

5.                For each year where the university uses contextual
admissions, how many applications were flagged, how many applicants were
given a contextual offer, and how many accepted them

Please find below:

Year Flagged applications Offers made Firm acceptances
2019 4924 3613 805
2020 6552 5642 1203
2021 7317 6389 1303
2022 7549 6312 1393

*********** END ****************

We are required to include details of our complaints procedures, including
your rights to apply to the Information Commissioner.  The procedure is
detailed in our Freedom of Information and Environmental Information
Regulations policy on the web at
[3]www.reading.ac.uk/freedom-of-information-policy

If we are unable to resolve any complaint, you can complain to the
Information Commissioner, the independent body who oversees the access to
information regimes: [4]https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/ 

Yours sincerely, 

Sinead Latham

Information Compliance Officer

Information Management & Policy Services (IMPS), University of Reading,
Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AH

[5][University of Reading request email]    t: +44 (0)118 378 8981   
[6]www.reading.ac.uk/foia

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