Effective Date: 26 July 2026
This Cookies Policy explains how our Platform uses cookies and similar technologies when you visit our Website or use any of our services. This Policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which explains in greater detail how we collect, use, store, and protect personal information.
Our use of cookies is governed by applicable legislation in the United Kingdom, including the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (PECR); the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR); the Data Protection Act 2018; and guidance published by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Where cookies are not strictly necessary for the operation of the Website, we will request your consent before placing them on your device. Simply continuing to browse our Website does not amount to valid consent under UK law. Whenever consent is required, it will be freely given, informed, specific, unambiguous, and provided through an affirmative action, such as selecting your preferred cookie options within our cookie banner.
1. Policy Scope
This Policy applies to all technologies that store information on your computer, mobile phone, tablet, or any other device, or that retrieve information already stored on such devices.
For the purposes of this Policy, these technologies include, but are not limited to cookies, web beacons, tracking pixels, browser storage technologies, local storage, software development kits (SDKs), where applicable, and other comparable technologies used to recognise devices or improve website functionality.
These technologies are regulated under PECR whenever they store information on, or gain access to information stored within, a user’s device, regardless of the specific technical method used.
2. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that websites place on a user’s device during browsing. They enable websites to recognise returning visitors, remember preferences, improve functionality, and gather information about how a website is used.
Cookies may help us to:
- recognise your browser during future visits;
- remember selected settings and preferences;
- maintain secure browsing sessions;
- improve website performance;
- understand how visitors interact with our content; and
- enhance the overall user experience.
Depending on their purpose, cookies may collect technical information such as:
- IP address;
- browser type and version;
- device identifiers;
- operating system;
- date and time of access; and
- browsing activity across pages within our Website.
2.1 Session Cookies
Session cookies are temporary cookies that remain active only while your browser session is open. They are automatically removed when you close your browser and are commonly used to maintain secure navigation, remember temporary information, and support essential website functions during a single visit.
2.2 Persistent Cookies
Persistent cookies remain stored on your device after your browsing session ends. They stay active for a predetermined period or until deleted manually through your browser settings. These cookies help us recognise returning visitors, remember preferences, and provide a more consistent browsing experience across future visits.
3. Similar Technologies
Alongside cookies, we may use additional technologies that perform comparable functions.
3.1 Web Beacons and Tracking Pixels
Web beacons (also referred to as tracking pixels or clear GIFs) are tiny graphic images or pieces of embedded code that allow us or authorised third parties to understand how visitors interact with webpages or electronic communications. These technologies may indicate whether a webpage has been viewed, a particular section has been accessed, an email has been opened, a link has been selected, or certain online features have been used. The information collected helps us evaluate engagement and improve our services.
3.2 Local Storage Technologies
Modern internet browsers provide local storage functionality that allows websites to save information directly on a user’s device. Unlike traditional cookies, local storage may retain larger amounts of information and can be used to remember preferences, accessibility settings, interface customisations, and technical configurations that improve website usability.
3.3 Tracking Scripts
Our Website may also use scripts supplied by trusted service providers. These scripts assist with website analytics, security monitoring, fraud prevention, performance optimisation, and the measurement of Website functionality. They may also help identify technical issues that require improvement.
4. First-Party and Third-Party Cookies
Cookies can also be categorised according to who places them on your device.
First-party cookies are created directly by our Website. These cookies generally support essential operational functions, including user authentication, security controls, remembering preferences, and maintaining browsing sessions.
Third-party cookies are placed by external organisations whose services are integrated into our Website. These providers may include companies offering website analytics, security monitoring, embedded content, customer communication tools, or advertising technologies.
Where third-party providers process personal information collected through cookies, they do so under their own privacy notices and legal responsibilities. Depending on the circumstances, they may act either as independent data controllers or as processors acting on our behalf.
5. Cookie Consent
5.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies
Certain cookies are essential for providing the services that you specifically request. These cookies support the secure operation of the Website and may be placed without obtaining prior consent where permitted under PECR.
5.2 Non-Essential Cookies
All cookies that are not strictly necessary require your consent before being activated. These include analytics cookies, optional functionality cookies, advertising cookies, and marketing technologies.
To comply with UK legislation, we ensure that non-essential cookies remain disabled until consent has been provided, you are free to refuse optional cookies without affecting access to the core functions of the Website, your consent preferences are securely recorded, and you can change or withdraw your choices whenever you wish using our cookie management tools.
6. Categories of Cookies We Use
6.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly necessary cookies are essential for the operation, security, and core functionality of our Website. Without these cookies, certain features requested by users cannot be provided.
These cookies may be used to establish and maintain secure browsing sessions; enable navigation between pages; verify user requests; protect against fraudulent activity; maintain system security and stability; support load balancing and technical performance; and ensure that essential website functions operate correctly. These cookies are regulated in accordance with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) and do not collect information for advertising purposes. Consent is not required. If these cookies are disabled through browser settings, some areas or features of the Website may not function as intended.
6.2 Analytics and Performance Cookies
Analytics and performance cookies help us understand how visitors use our Website so that we can improve its performance, usability, and reliability. These cookies may collect information including pages visited; time spent viewing pages; navigation paths; click behaviour; referring websites; browser configuration; operating system; device type; and general performance information. The information collected allows us to evaluate how visitors engage with our learning support services, identify technical issues, and improve the quality of our Website. Where possible, we configure analytics services to minimise the amount of personal data processed and to reduce the likelihood of identifying individual users. Consent is required.
6.3 Functionality Cookies
Functionality cookies allow the Website to remember choices you make so that your experience becomes more personalised during future visits. These cookies may remember language preferences, accessibility settings, cookie preferences, display settings, and previously selected options. By remembering these preferences, the Website can provide a smoother and more convenient user experience. Where these cookies are not essential to delivering a service specifically requested by you, they will only be used after your consent has been obtained.
6.4 Security Cookies
Security cookies help us safeguard both our Platform and its users. They may be used to detect suspicious or malicious activity; prevent automated attacks; support fraud prevention measures; protect against misuse of the Website; maintain secure communications; and ensure the integrity of our systems. These cookies generally process technical information that is necessary to maintain website security rather than to identify individual users. Where they are genuinely essential for security purposes, they may fall within the exemption for strictly necessary cookies.
6.5 Advertising and Marketing Cookies
Advertising and marketing cookies are used to evaluate promotional activities and, where applicable, provide more relevant advertising. Depending on the services used, these cookies may monitor interactions with advertisements; measure campaign effectiveness; limit the number of times advertisements are displayed; analyse marketing performance; and personalise promotional content.
These cookies may involve the processing of information such as IP address, browser identifiers, device identifiers, browsing activity, and interactions with marketing content. Consent is required.
7. Third-Party Cookies and International Transfers
Some cookies placed on our Website originate from carefully selected third-party service providers whose technologies help us deliver, improve, secure, and analyse our online services. These providers may include organisations offering website analytics, cloud hosting services, embedded media, customer communication tools, security services, marketing platforms, and website optimisation technologies.
Depending on the nature of the service provided, these organisations may act as independent data controllers or as processors acting on our behalf. Certain providers may process information outside the United Kingdom.
Where personal information is transferred internationally, we take appropriate measures to ensure that adequate safeguards are in place, which may include UK adequacy regulations; the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA); the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses where appropriate; or any other lawful transfer mechanism recognised under UK data protection legislation.
8. Cookie Consent Mechanism
When you first access our Website, you will be presented with a cookie banner that enables you to manage your cookie preferences before non-essential cookies are activated.
Our consent mechanism has been designed in accordance with UK GDPR and ICO guidance and aims to ensure that:
- non-essential cookies are disabled by default;
- consent requests are presented clearly and transparently;
- no pre-selected consent boxes are used;
- users can accept or reject optional cookies with equal ease;
- consent is obtained before optional cookies are placed on the device; and
- records of consent preferences are maintained where appropriate to demonstrate compliance with applicable legal obligations.
Your selected preferences may be remembered so that your choices continue to apply during future visits unless you decide to change them.
9. Managing Cookies and Withdrawing Consent
You remain in control of the cookies placed on your device. Where we rely on your consent to use non-essential cookies, you may withdraw that consent or amend your preferences at any time through the cookie settings available on our Website. You may also manage cookies through your web browser. Please note that browser settings operate independently from our cookie preference centre. Blocking or deleting certain cookies through your browser may affect the availability, performance, or functionality of parts of the Website.
Withdrawing your consent does not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before that consent was withdrawn.
10. Advertising Preference Tools
Where advertising or marketing cookies are used, you may also be able to control interest-based advertising through industry-supported preference management services.
Depending on your location and the services available, these may include Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA); Network Advertising Initiative (NAI); Google Ads Settings; and other recognised advertising preference management platforms.
These tools allow you to manage advertising preferences across participating providers. Please note that opting out of personalised advertising does not necessarily mean that you will stop seeing advertisements. Instead, you may continue to receive advertisements that are less relevant to your interests.
11. Cookie Duration and Storage Periods
Cookies remain on your device for different periods depending on the purpose for which they are used.
11.1 Session Cookies
Session cookies are temporary. They exist only while your browser remains open and are deleted automatically once your browsing session ends. These cookies help maintain secure navigation and ensure that essential website functions continue to operate correctly throughout your visit.
11.2 Persistent Cookies
Persistent cookies remain stored on your device after your browsing session has ended. The exact retention period depends on the individual cookie and its intended purpose. Some persistent cookies may remain active for only a few days, while others may be stored for several months. In general, we seek to avoid retaining persistent cookies for longer than is reasonably necessary and, where appropriate, retention periods may extend for up to twelve months. You may delete persistent cookies at any time through your browser settings.
12. Cookie Reviews
We regularly review the cookies and similar technologies used on our Website to ensure they remain appropriate, necessary, and compliant with applicable legal requirements. Before introducing any new non-essential cookies or tracking technologies, we evaluate their purpose and legal requirements and, where necessary, update our consent mechanisms accordingly. We also seek to ensure that our descriptions of cookies remain clear and transparent.
13. Questions, Complaints and Regulatory Authority
If you have questions about our use of cookies or similar technologies, you may also wish to consult our Privacy Policy, which explains how personal information is collected, used, shared, and protected. If you believe that our use of cookies does not comply with applicable data protection legislation, you have the right to raise your concerns with us so that we can investigate the matter and, where appropriate, resolve it promptly. You also have the right to submit a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which is the United Kingdom’s independent supervisory authority responsible for enforcing data protection legislation.
14. Changes to This Cookie Policy
We may amend this Cookies Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, regulatory guidance, technological developments, the operation of our Website, or the cookies and similar technologies that we use. The most recent version of this Cookies Policy will always be available on our Website, and users are encouraged to review it periodically to remain informed about how cookies and similar technologies are used.