How cookies are used on this service
Get Information about Schools puts small files (known as ‘cookies’) onto your computer to collect information about how you browse the site.
Cookies are used to:
- measure how you use the website so it can be updated and improved based on your needs
- remember the notifications you've seen so that we don't show them to you again
The cookies aren't used to identify you personally.
You'll normally see a message on the site before we store a cookie on your computer.
Find out more about how to manage cookies (opens in new tab) .
Measuring website usage
We use Google Analytics software to collect information about how you use this website. We do this to help make sure the site is meeting the needs of its users and to help us make improvements, for example improving site search (opens in new tab) . We also send cross-domain tracking information to GOV.UK to help us understand and monitor performance data across multiple public services.
Google Analytics stores information about:
- the pages you visit on this website
- how long you spend on each page
- how you got to the site
- what you click on while you're visiting the site
We don't collect or store your personal information (for example your name or address) so this information can't be used to identify who you are.
We don't allow Google to use or share our analytics data.
Google Analytics sets the following cookies:
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| _ga | This helps us count how many people visit GOV.UK by tracking if you've visited before | 2 years |
| _gat | Used to manage the rate at which page view requests are made | 10 minutes |
| _gid | Used to distinguish users | 24 hours |
You can opt out of Google Analytics cookies (opens in new tab) .
Essential cookies
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| analytics_preferences | Lets us know whether you agree to the use of analytics cookies to help us understand how you use the service so we can make improvements | 28 days |
| AspNet.ApplicationCookie | One of the ways that we manage the user access to the service | When you close your browser |
| AspNet.ExternalCookie | One of the ways that we manage the user access to the service | When you close your browser |
| __RequestVerificationToken | One of the ways that we manage the user access to the service | When you close your browser |