Cookie statement

How we use cookies

We want to be open in the way we use cookies, and to help you make informed choices about the information you provide to us and third parties when you visit our websites.

“A cookie is a small text file that is downloaded onto a device (e.g. a computer or smartphone) when the user accesses a website. It allows the website to recognise that user’s device and store some information about the user’s preferences or past actions.”

– From the Information Commissioner’s Office guidance on use of cookies

We use several types of cookies for a number of reasons across the college’s websites. Some are essential, while others you can opt out of or block. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may, however, prevent you from taking full advantage of the website’s functionality.

There are broad categories why a cookie will be stored on your device when visiting the college’s websites.

  • Cookies that make the website work properly for you and enable you to make use of any secure online services that we provide.
  • Cookies that collect data about your use of the website which is used to help us improve our online services.
  • Cookies that remember your preferences and make the site easier for you to use.
  • Cookies that are placed by third party services we make use of to enhance the information we present online. We have no control over these third party cookies, but specifically list their use and indicate the privacy statements of the organisations involved.

Some cookies are retained in your browser for only as long as you visit the website, while others persist for a longer specified or unspecified period.

This website uses the DNN (previously named DotNetNuke) content management system, which uses cookies that are essential to its ability to function. Many of the cookies relate to authentication and authorisation and as such they are only set for users ‘logging into’ the site, they are not relevant (and not set) for someone purely viewing the website. Others store details to support and assist the user’s interactions with the site during their current session only and are deleted once the browser is closed. For more detailed information regarding DNN cookies, please visit www.dnnsoftware.com/wiki/page/dotnetnuke-cookie-usage.

On initial access, this website informs visitors that cookies are used. This is facilitated by an inbuilt DNN mechanism which itself sets a cookie (cookieconsent_status) to store a visitor’s acknowledgement.

We also log website traffic using Google Analytics. This is a web analytics service to help us see how our website is used. In doing so, information about your use of our website, including your partial IP address, may be transmitted to Google. The data collected by Google Analytics is used to analyse how frequently people visit the website, how the website is found (from advertising or referring websites), and which pages are most frequently viewed. This information is combined with data from thousands of other users to create an overall picture of usage, and is never identified individually or personally and is not linked to any other information we store about you.

The cookies used are:

_ga, _gid – Used to distinguish visitors, expires after 2 years, 24 hours respectively.

_gat_gtag… – Used to throttle request rate, expires after 1 minute.

Earlier implementations of Google Analytics on this site used:

__utma – Tracks the number of times a visitor has been to the site, when their first visit was, and when their last visit occurred. Expires after 2 years.

__utmb and __utmc – Tracks how long a particular visit to the site lasts. Expires after 30 minutes, session end respectively.

__utmz – This cookie tracks which site or search engine the visitor came from, the link clicked or keyword used, and the visitor’s geographic location. Expires after 6 months.

More information about Google Analytics use of cookies can be found at: policies.google.com/privacy

Google provides a way of opting out of their analytics at: tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

Cookies set by third parties

The following third party functionality is embedded into certain pages of the website and the third party will set their own cookie(s). We have no control over these cookies.

Eventbrite

An embedded event registration form is displayed on our parents’ induction evening page. Their privacy statement can be found at: www.eventbrite.co.uk/privacypolicy

Issuu

Certain publications are presented using an interactive user interface provided by Issuu. Their privacy statement can be found at: issuu.com/legal/privacy

MailChimp

An embedded open-event registration form utilises functionality from the online marketing platform MailChimp.  Their privacy policy can be found at: mailchimp.com/legal/privacy.

Tiki-Toki

Interactive timelines are presented using a user interface provided by Tiki-Toki. Their privacy statement can be found at: www.tiki-toki.com/privacy

YouTube

Video content is hosted on YouTube and provided via an embedded media player. Their privacy statement can be found at: policies.google.com/privacy