Daniel

Thank you for your requests under the Freedom of Information Act. This response covers both requests.
We have been trying to find ways of getting you the information you have asked for - this is proving harder than we had hoped!

Neither our MIS systems nor the invoices we receive from the exam boards identify how much of the invoice costs relate to resits. Thus we do not have information on how much is paid to the boards for resits, so I'm sorry to inform you that we cannot provide this information.

The only records of payments taken for resits are on paper forms (the fees are entered into our finance system, but cannot be distinguished from other examination fees). We would therefore have to employ someone to add up these paper amounts manually. We estimate the cost of this task to be approximately £200. We will be happy to carry out this work on receipt of this fee.

I'm sorry not to be able to give a more helpful response at this stage, but if you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards

Steve Kelby
Director of Information and Technical Services
Luton Sixth Form College

________________________________________
From: Daniel Woodgate [[FOI #30540 email]]
Sent: 10 March 2010 22:46
To: collemail
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Resit fees actually spent on resits

Dear Luton Sixth Form College,

Please could you provide me with information on exactly how much
money was given to exam boards for resits only over the past three
years.

Yours faithfully,

Daniel Woodgate

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be
published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/about...

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #30540 email]

Is [Luton Sixth Form College request email] the wrong address for Freedom of
Information requests to Luton Sixth Form College? If so please
contact us using this form:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/contact

If you find WhatDoTheyKnow useful as an FOI officer, please ask
your web manager to suggest us on your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Daniel

Thanks for your email. We have, as you requested, carried out an internal
review of your request. My previous responses still stand, but I hope I
can at least provide you with assurance on a number of counts:

. We do hold all the data we are legally required to hold. It is
unfortunately currently rather difficult to aggregate the data to get
accurate figures for the information your requested - hence the necessity
to charge for employing additional staffing to do this.

. The charges we set are fair. The College sets its charges for
resits based on the examination boards' charges. Our charges are slightly
simplified, so some of our charges are somewhat above those set by the
board, and some are somewhat below. With these fees, it is not possible
for us to make any significant profit from resits, even if our current
software does not make calculating the precise value very easy. We also
choose not to put up the charges so that they cover the very substantial
cost of administering entries for resits, so in real terms the processing
of exams resits results in a financial loss for the College. We choose to
bear this cost in order to minimise the financial burden on students.

. The resit fees are not spent inappropriately. Resit fees
essentially go into central College funds and out again as fees to the
exam boards. If there is any surplus, this is spent on essential goods
and services for the benefit of students. The College is frequently
audited by external auditors: there has never been any suggestion of any
College funds having been spent inappropriately. If we are presented with
any evidence that this has happened, we will of course investigate as a
matter of urgency.

Please feel free to contact us again of you want more information. We are
of course still happy to compile a precise figure for the exam fees on
receipt of the stated fee.

Regards

Steve Kelby