Visiting our website and the use of cookies

The Gillingham School Website (https://www.gillingham-dorset.co.uk - known as 'our website' or 'this website' moving forward) uses a number of cookies that store data on our visitor's computers.

Cookies are small text files, used by your web browser to store visitor session data on your computer for websites that you visit. They are commonly used on the Internet in order to make websites work more efficiently and to enhance end user experience, as well as to provide relevant information to our website team.

Cookies are not intended to harm your system in any way.

Cookie consent

When you visit our website for the first time, you will be presented with a cookie information message stating that our site tries to use cookies.

By configuring your browser to accept cookies, we take this as consent to store them and they will be used. Otherwise, cookies will not be used unless, and until you consent by configuring your browser to allow them.

If you have configured your web browser to accept cookies, then you can clear the cookie information message which will store a cookie to say that you have done so (the 'cookieconsent_status' cookie detailed below).

You may also choose to delete any cookies from your computer between visits to our website. We recommend that if you have concerns about the privacy implications of the cookies this website (or any potentially integrated third party sites) uses, then you should investigate how to do this by using the cookie management tools in your web browser.

General concerns

There is no reason for our website's visitors to be concerned about the privacy implications of any of the cookies we use, but we do recognise the importance of making you aware of the purpose and scope of the data stored in the cookies which are created or updated on your computer when you visit our website.

Continue reading for details on the cookies we use.

First-party cookies

First-party cookies are specific to the host site that created them (in this case, our website). They are not shared across domains and so cannot be accessed by a web server other than our website.

When someone visits our website, we collect standard internet log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns so that we are able to compile user reports on the number of visitors to the various parts of our website and their geographical location. We collect this information in a way that does not identify users and we do not attempt to find out the identities of those visiting our website.

First-party cookies in detail

The table below explains the First-party cookies we use on our website and the purpose that they are used for:

Third-party cookies

A third-party cookie is a small amount of text stored in the user's computer that is created by a website with a domain name other than the one the user is currently visiting.

We may occasionally use third-party plug-ins that require third-party cookies in order to enhance the end users experience, and to act as a marketing tool. It is of the school's opinion that the use of any of these plug-in's represents current 'best practice'.

We do not however have any direct control over the content of these third party cookies, the use made of any data collected, or the security of that data. Any third parties may collect information about your visit to our Website, and they may use this with other data in order to serve advertising, which may be more relevant to you.

Third-party cookies in detail

At present, we are not aware of any third-party cookies that are stored or used as a result of visiting our website.

Additional cookie information

Please note that users or visitors with a login are subject to the Gillingham School acceptable use policy, which covers the use of additional cookies not set for anonymous visitors.

These additional cookies are outside the scope of this policy.