Index: lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/util/ExcelUtil.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r723b5bcbdf0db6b9a4fbeacdc55f7336992ac935 -r2dbd1fb7d0a25cd427f5ad1a7e61b12610ee4c86
--- lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/util/ExcelUtil.java	(.../ExcelUtil.java)	(revision 723b5bcbdf0db6b9a4fbeacdc55f7336992ac935)
+++ lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/util/ExcelUtil.java	(.../ExcelUtil.java)	(revision 2dbd1fb7d0a25cd427f5ad1a7e61b12610ee4c86)
@@ -181,8 +181,7 @@
 	    Row row = sheet.createRow(1);
 	    ExcelUtil.createCell(new ExcelCell(dateHeader, false), 0, row, workbook);
 
-	    SimpleDateFormat titleDateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat(FileUtil.EXPORT_TO_SPREADSHEET_TITLE_DATE_FORMAT);
-	    ExcelUtil.createCell(new ExcelCell(titleDateFormat.format(new Date()), false), 1, row, workbook);
+	    ExcelUtil.createCell(new ExcelCell(FileUtil.EXPORT_TO_SPREADSHEET_TITLE_DATE_FORMAT.format(new Date()), false), 1, row, workbook);
 	}
 
 	if (data != null) {
@@ -222,8 +221,7 @@
 	if (excelCell != null) {
 	    Cell cell = row.createCell(cellnum);
 	    if (excelCell.getCellValue() != null && excelCell.getCellValue() instanceof Date) {
-		SimpleDateFormat cellDateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat(FileUtil.EXPORT_TO_SPREADSHEET_CELL_DATE_FORMAT);
-		cell.setCellValue(cellDateFormat.format(excelCell.getCellValue()));
+		cell.setCellValue(FileUtil.EXPORT_TO_SPREADSHEET_CELL_DATE_FORMAT.format(excelCell.getCellValue()));
 	    } else if (excelCell.getCellValue() != null && excelCell.getCellValue() instanceof java.lang.Double) {
 		cell.setCellValue((Double) excelCell.getCellValue());
 	    } else if (excelCell.getCellValue() != null && excelCell.getCellValue() instanceof java.lang.Long) {
Index: lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/util/FileUtil.java
===================================================================
diff -u -re57c5f124d643991b5d13901d32bc686acabe706 -r2dbd1fb7d0a25cd427f5ad1a7e61b12610ee4c86
--- lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/util/FileUtil.java	(.../FileUtil.java)	(revision e57c5f124d643991b5d13901d32bc686acabe706)
+++ lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/util/FileUtil.java	(.../FileUtil.java)	(revision 2dbd1fb7d0a25cd427f5ad1a7e61b12610ee4c86)
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 import java.io.StringWriter;
 import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
 import java.net.URLEncoder;
+import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.Properties;
 
@@ -66,8 +67,8 @@
     private static Logger log = Logger.getLogger(FileUtil.class);
 
     public static final String ENCODING_UTF_8 = "UTF8";
-    public static final String EXPORT_TO_SPREADSHEET_TITLE_DATE_FORMAT = "dd.MM.yyyy HH:mm:ss";
-    public static final String EXPORT_TO_SPREADSHEET_CELL_DATE_FORMAT = "dd.MM.yyyy";
+    public static final SimpleDateFormat EXPORT_TO_SPREADSHEET_TITLE_DATE_FORMAT = new SimpleDateFormat("dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm:ss");
+    public static final SimpleDateFormat EXPORT_TO_SPREADSHEET_CELL_DATE_FORMAT = new SimpleDateFormat("dd/MM/yyyy");
 
     public static final String LAMS_WWW_SECURE_DIR = "secure";
     public static final String LAMS_WWW_DIR = "lams-www.war";
Index: lams_gradebook/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/gradebook/service/GradebookService.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r2fc9dd8b82fc3c3a2363cbc13e60eaba86e6a476 -r2dbd1fb7d0a25cd427f5ad1a7e61b12610ee4c86
--- lams_gradebook/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/gradebook/service/GradebookService.java	(.../GradebookService.java)	(revision 2fc9dd8b82fc3c3a2363cbc13e60eaba86e6a476)
+++ lams_gradebook/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/gradebook/service/GradebookService.java	(.../GradebookService.java)	(revision 2dbd1fb7d0a25cd427f5ad1a7e61b12610ee4c86)
@@ -879,8 +879,6 @@
 
 	LinkedHashMap<String, ExcelCell[][]> dataToExport = new LinkedHashMap<String, ExcelCell[][]>();
 
-	SimpleDateFormat cellDateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat(FileUtil.EXPORT_TO_SPREADSHEET_TITLE_DATE_FORMAT);
-
 	// -------------------- process summary excel page --------------------------------
 
 	// The entire data list
@@ -986,9 +984,9 @@
 	    for (GBUserGridRowDTO userDto : userDtos) {
 
 		String startDate = (userDto.getStartDate() == null) ? ""
-			: cellDateFormat.format(userDto.getStartDate());
+			: FileUtil.EXPORT_TO_SPREADSHEET_TITLE_DATE_FORMAT.format(userDto.getStartDate());
 		String finishDate = (userDto.getFinishDate() == null) ? ""
-			: cellDateFormat.format(userDto.getFinishDate());
+			: FileUtil.EXPORT_TO_SPREADSHEET_TITLE_DATE_FORMAT.format(userDto.getFinishDate());
 
 		count = 0;
 		ExcelCell[] userDataRow = new ExcelCell[7];
@@ -1058,9 +1056,9 @@
 			    : StringEscapeUtils.escapeHtml(activity.getTitle());
 
 		    String startDate = (userDto.getStartDate() == null) ? ""
-			    : cellDateFormat.format(userDto.getStartDate());
+			    : FileUtil.EXPORT_TO_SPREADSHEET_TITLE_DATE_FORMAT.format(userDto.getStartDate());
 		    String finishDate = (userDto.getFinishDate() == null) ? ""
-			    : cellDateFormat.format(userDto.getFinishDate());
+			    : FileUtil.EXPORT_TO_SPREADSHEET_TITLE_DATE_FORMAT.format(userDto.getFinishDate());
 
 		    ExcelCell[] activityDataRow = new ExcelCell[5];
 		    activityDataRow[0] = new ExcelCell(activityRowName, false);
@@ -1084,7 +1082,6 @@
     @Override
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     public LinkedHashMap<String, ExcelCell[][]> exportCourseGradebook(Integer userId, Integer organisationId) {
-	SimpleDateFormat cellDateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat(FileUtil.EXPORT_TO_SPREADSHEET_TITLE_DATE_FORMAT);
 	LinkedHashMap<String, ExcelCell[][]> dataToExport = new LinkedHashMap<String, ExcelCell[][]>();
 
 	// The entire data list
@@ -1186,12 +1183,12 @@
 
 			// start date
 			if ((learnerProgress != null) && (learnerProgress.getStartDate() != null)) {
-			    startDate = cellDateFormat.format(learnerProgress.getStartDate());
+			    startDate = FileUtil.EXPORT_TO_SPREADSHEET_TITLE_DATE_FORMAT.format(learnerProgress.getStartDate());
 			}
 
 			// finish date
 			if ((learnerProgress != null) && (learnerProgress.getFinishDate() != null)) {
-			    finishDate = cellDateFormat.format(learnerProgress.getFinishDate());
+			    finishDate = FileUtil.EXPORT_TO_SPREADSHEET_TITLE_DATE_FORMAT.format(learnerProgress.getFinishDate());
 			}
 
 			// calculate time taken
@@ -1240,7 +1237,6 @@
     @Override
     public LinkedHashMap<String, ExcelCell[][]> exportSelectedLessonsGradebook(Integer userId, Integer organisationId,
 	    String[] lessonIds, boolean simplified) {
-	SimpleDateFormat cellDateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat(FileUtil.EXPORT_TO_SPREADSHEET_TITLE_DATE_FORMAT);
 	LinkedHashMap<String, ExcelCell[][]> dataToExport = new LinkedHashMap<String, ExcelCell[][]>();
 
 	Organisation organisation = (Organisation) userService.findById(Organisation.class, organisationId);
@@ -1385,10 +1381,10 @@
 			    }
 			}
 			String startDate = (learnerProgress == null || learnerProgress.getStartDate() == null) ? ""
-				: cellDateFormat.format(learnerProgress.getStartDate());
+				: FileUtil.EXPORT_TO_SPREADSHEET_TITLE_DATE_FORMAT.format(learnerProgress.getStartDate());
 			userRow[i++] = new ExcelCell(startDate, false);
 			String finishDate = (learnerProgress == null || learnerProgress.getFinishDate() == null) ? ""
-				: cellDateFormat.format(learnerProgress.getFinishDate());
+				: FileUtil.EXPORT_TO_SPREADSHEET_TITLE_DATE_FORMAT.format(learnerProgress.getFinishDate());
 			userRow[i++] = new ExcelCell(finishDate, false);
 		    }