Cookies
CONTENTS
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on to your computer by the websites you visit. They help improve your experience and allow website-owners to analyse visits.
This is how cookies work: When you first visit a site that uses cookies, a simple text file is downloaded on to your computer, which is then read each time you return to that site. The file, or cookie, can be used to remember user names, passwords and preferences, for instance, or to personalise searches that you have conducted in the past. All of this information allows you a smoother experience on site. Cookies also help website-owners make improvements by collecting information such as the number and length of visits and pages viewed.
How can cookies be managed/blocked?
You can set your device to accept all cookies, to notify you when a cookie is issued, or not to receive cookies at all. If you choose not to receive cookies you may not be able to take full advantage of the website's features and we may not be able to personalise your experience on site. Each internet browser is different, so check the 'Help' menu of your browser to find out how to change your cookie preferences. More information on cookies is available from the Information Commissioner's Office
- READ MORE ABOUT COOKIES
- Information Commissioner's Office
Retargeting services
We use retargeting services on behalf of education institutions partners to show you advertising that you may be interested in, based on your interactions on our sites. When you are visiting other websites, such as a news service, you may see one of these ads.
Retargeting works by analysing the areas you look at online - such as course subjects or university locations - and creating targeted online advertising campaigns on behalf of our advertising clients. The content of the adverts will specifically support your educational journey, with a particular focus on the types of subjects and institutions which you have previously viewed on our websites.
Cookies and Smart Pixel technologies support our retargeting services which are delivered via partners such as Admedo, Adroll, Facebook and Instagram.
What type of cookies do we use?
We use the following cookies:
Strictly necessary cookies
These cookies are required for the operation of our website.
| NAME | PURPOSE | LIFE TIME |
| JSESSIONID | To keep users logged in during their session | Session |
Analytical/performance cookies
These cookies allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors to our sites and see how users move around the sites. This information helps us to improve our websites, for example, by ensuring that users can easily find what they are looking for.
| NAME | PURPOSE | LIFE TIME |
| _ga | Used to distinguish users | 2 years |
| _gat | Rate limiting on logging to Insights GA | 1 minute |
| _gat_newTracker | Rate limiting on logging to Insights GA | 1 minute |
| _gid | Used to distinguish users | 1 day |
Functionality cookies
These are used to recognise you when you return to our website. This enables us to personalise our content for you, greet you by name and remember your preferences (for example, your choice of language or region).
| NAME | PURPOSE | LIFE TIME |
| AG_CK_POLICY | To show the cookie policy notification | 30 days |
| USER_TRACK_SESSION_ID | To link all the actions to the user who registers at the end of the journey | 30 days |
Third party cookies
Please note that third parties (for example advertising networks and external service providers such as web traffic analysis services) may also use cookies, over which we have no control. These cookies are likely to be analytical/performance cookies or targeting cookies.
| THIRD PARTY | TYPE | PURPOSE |
|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics | This is used of tracking the site traffic details. Not linking to user information | Analytics |
| This is to provide Facebook sharing to the user | Social Media | |
| This is to provide Twitter sharing to the user | Social Media |