Cookie Policy

Last updated: 10 August 2026

1. What cookies are

Cookies are small files placed on your device when you visit a website. They help the website work, remember your choices and understand how people use the site.

Similar technologies may include local storage, session storage and pixels.

2. How we use cookies

We may use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Make the website work
• Keep users signed in
• Remember cookie choices
• Remember selected schools for comparison
• Remember temporary saved schools
• Remember filters or search choices
• Measure anonymous, aggregate visits so we can improve the website
• Understand how people use the website when optional Google Analytics is enabled

3. Strictly necessary cookies

These cookies are needed for the website to function. They may be used for:

• Login
• Account security
• Cookie preferences
• Temporary comparison selections
• Temporary saved schools
• Basic website features

These cookies cannot usually be switched off because the website needs them to work.

4. Cookie-free anonymous statistics

We use Vercel Web Analytics to measure aggregate visits, popular pages, referrers, approximate country, device, browser and operating-system information. Vercel Web Analytics does not use cookies. It uses a temporary hash that resets each day and cannot follow a visitor across different websites or different days.

We exclude private account, authentication, admin and Route Plan pages. We also remove URL search details before an analytics event is sent, so school-search terms and postcodes are not included. These statistics are used only to understand and improve MySchoolCompass. You can switch them off at any time through Cookie settings.

5. Optional Google Analytics cookies

We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how people use the website and improve the user experience. It may collect information such as pages visited, approximate location, device and browser type, and interactions with the website. We have disabled advertising signals and do not send names, email addresses or school-search text to Google Analytics.

Google Analytics is optional. Its tag is not loaded unless you select “Accept all cookies” or enable Google Analytics in Cookie settings.

6. Marketing cookies

We do not currently use marketing cookies.

If this changes, this Cookie Policy and the cookie banner will be updated.

7. Managing cookies

You can change your choice at any time by selecting “Cookie settings” at the bottom of the website. The first layer offers three equally available choices:

• Use essential cookies only
• Accept all cookies
• Manage settings individually

Essential cookies cannot be disabled through this control because they provide features you request. You can object to anonymous Vercel statistics and withdraw Google Analytics consent through Manage settings. Optional analytics choices do not affect access to the website.

8. Temporary school selections

We may use browser storage to remember:

• Schools selected for comparison
• Temporarily saved schools
• Filters
• Search choices
• Page number

This helps users compare schools before creating an account. If you later create an account, we may transfer your selected schools into your free parent portal.

9. Changes to this Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time. The latest version will be posted on this page.

10. Contact

For questions about cookies, contactsupport@myschoolcompass.co.uk.