Question on Contextual Admissions Practice
Dear Royal Veterinary College,
I would like to ask for the following information:
(In this request, year refers to entry year, for example: 2010-2011 entry year refers to students applying in 2010, entering in 2011. )
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
2. For each year where the university uses contextual admissions, the subjects or departments or schools that practice contextual admissions
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
4. For each year where the university uses contextual admissions, what the data are used for: flagging applicants, guaranteed interviews, contextual offers
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
Yours faithfully,
Eddy Zou
Dear Eddy Zou,
We write to acknowledge receipt of your request for data under the Freedom of Information Act and shall reply again in due course.
Your sincerely
FOI Officer
The Royal Veterinary College
Dear Eddy Zou,
Having conducted a search of the College’s records, we can confirm that it
does hold information relevant to your request. Please find the answers
below.
1. We first started using some form of contextual admissions in 2004/5
and have continued to do so ever since
2. Veterinary medicine since 2004/5, Biological Sciences since 2018/9
3. Our definitions can be found in our admissions policy which is found
on our website:
[1]https://www.rvc.ac.uk/Media/Default/Abou...
Prior to 2014/5, the Gateway course required the following criteria:
• A letter confirming eligibility for child tax credits showing the
household income as being £25,000 or less (gross). (For students aged
19 or over, the alternative acceptable financial evidence was
confirmation of receipt of the appropriate amount of Adult Learning
Grant based on a £25,000 income threshold.)
• Declaration that parents had not attended university/a higher
education college.
From 2014/5 onwards the criteria and definitions were as published on our
website/admissions policy
[2]https://www.rvc.ac.uk/study/undergraduat....
With the following exceptions:
• Prior to 2018/9, in addition to being in receipt of a means tested
benefit, applicants had to have a household income of under £25,000
• IMD quintiles were introduced in 2020/1.
Our contextual offer criteria is also on our website (and to be read in
conjunction with the Admissions Policy):
[3]https://www.rvc.ac.uk/Media/Default/stud...
and
[4]https://www.rvc.ac.uk/Media/Default/stud....
This has remained unchanged since introduction with the following
exceptions:
• Free school meals were added for 2022/3
• IMD was added for 2021/2
• POLAR3 quintiles were used until 2018/9, when they were replaced with
POLAR4. The definitions remained unchanged.
4. Since 2004/5 we have run an extended programme aimed at students from
non-traditional backgrounds who may not otherwise be able to progress
to a Veterinary Medicine degree. Admission to this course is based on
contextual markers. See:
[5]https://www.rvc.ac.uk/study/undergraduat... for
further information.
From 2014/5 applicants who met contextual markers were awarded extra
points in pre-interview scoring and selection for veterinary medicine
(this information was not considered beyond this point).
From 2018/9 for Biological Science courses, we have used contextual data
to make lower offers.
From 2019/0 for Veterinary Medicine, we have used contextual data to make
lower offers.
From 2019/0 for Veterinary Nursing, we have used contextual data to flag
applicants’ pre-interview and award additional points as a part of the
interview selection process (this information is not considered beyond
this point).
5. It is not possible to provide the information on applications flagged
as this information is not retained.
Offer details are as follows:
┌────────────────────────┬─────────────────────┬─────────────────────────┐
│Year of entry │Offers made │Offers accepted │
├────────────────────────┼─────────────────────┼─────────────────────────┤
│2018/9 │47 │18 │
├────────────────────────┼─────────────────────┼─────────────────────────┤
│2019/0 │38 │14 │
├────────────────────────┼─────────────────────┼─────────────────────────┤
│2020/1 │38 │12 │
├────────────────────────┼─────────────────────┼─────────────────────────┤
│2021/2 │62 │21 │
├────────────────────────┼─────────────────────┼─────────────────────────┤
│2022/3 │101 │37 │
└────────────────────────┴─────────────────────┴─────────────────────────┘
The RVC is satisfied that in making this response, it has complied with
the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act. If, for any reason,
you are not satisfied with this response, you should request an internal
review by writing within 40 working days of receiving this response to The
Chief Operating Officer and Secretary to the Council, Royal Veterinary
College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, AL9 7TA ( Email:
[email address] ), who will ensure that this is dealt with
accordingly. There is no charge for such a request. Should you still be
dissatisfied with the outcome, you have the right to make a complaint via
the Information Commissioner, pursuant to Section 50 of the Freedom of
Information Act, via The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe
House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF [Tel: 0303 123 1113].
Yours sincerely,
FOI Officer
The Royal Veterinary College
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