This page sets out in more detail what we mean by what we say in our responses to requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act.

Please note that we are not able to warrant that any of the information that we provide in response to a request is accurate.

Personal data

• The University may decline to provide details of individual cases or small numbers of cases where it believes that disclosure would lead to the identification of individuals, placing the University in breach of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).
• The University may redact information where it believes that disclosure would lead to the identification of individuals and place the University in breach of the UK GDPR.
• Where the University has stated ‘individual’ next to a record it declines to provide the individual’s name as this amounts to personal data and would lead to the identification of individuals, which may place the University in breach of the UK GDPR.
• Where the University has stated the value as ‘< 5’ it declines to provide the actual figure on the grounds that the numbers are very small and could potentially lead to the identification of individuals, which may place the University in breach of the UK GDPR.
• Where the University has stated the value as ‘< 10’ or ‘< 20’ it declines to provide the actual figure on the grounds that the value of the ‘< 5’ figures can be deduced from this figure and the total number provided.
• The University relies on the exemption under section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in the above cases.

Admissions to the University

• Unconditional offers are only made to applicants who have already taken and achieved the qualifications necessary to meet the University’s entry requirements prior to their application. Any data relating to ‘unconditional offers’ is for applicants who were made unconditional offers because they had already achieved the required grades.

Deferment from the University

• The University interprets 'deferment' to mean temporary withdrawal from the University.

Withdrawal from the University

• The University does not use the term ‘dropped out’. Any data provided will relate to the number of students recorded as having withdrawn from their course of study in a particular year. The withdrawal could be due to a number of reasons including, but not limited to, transfer to another course at the University, transfer to another institution, health, financial or other personal reasons. A student recorded as withdrawn in a given year may restart again at the University or at another institution.
• Withdrawn student numbers are based on live data in the University’s Student Records System (SITS) and therefore data provided will only be correct to a specified date.
• If the withdrawal numbers include statistics for the current academic year, these will be correct to the date specified, but may appear low because they cover only part of the academic year.
• Withdrawn student numbers are based on the effective date of withdrawal available in SITS, but in some cases, the University may only be notified of this at a later date.
• Unless stated otherwise, data includes undergraduate and postgraduate full-time and part-time students who permanently withdrew from the University in each of the given academic years.
• Percentages are based on the student population in each year of study and the student population is based on snapshot data taken on 31 October in each of the given academic years.
• Any data provided relating to students who have died while registered as a student does not imply that the person died on campus or during term time.