Privacy

Cookies

We don’t use tracking or analytics cookies, and our fonts and files are all served from this site. We set no cookies of our own for visitors: the only one is a session cookie for the site owner’s admin area (it’s only sent on admin pages, and only when someone signs in).

When you first visit, a bar asks whether you’re happy with ads cookies. We keep your answer in your browser’s local storage (or, if that’s blocked, in a small cookie from this site called ads_consent) for 6 months, so we don’t have to ask on every page. It holds only “accept” or “reject” and the date, and it isn’t sent to anyone.

Banner ads

Some pages have up to two banner ads: one under the menu, and one part-way through a guide, the guide list or the supplier directory. There are none on this page, the contact, terms, advertising disclosure and photo-credit pages, the directory form, or the admin area, and none inside the estimator’s results or the checklist. Because many readers work in schools, advertisers of alcohol, gambling, adult products, vaping and foods high in fat, salt or sugar are blocked on this site. The ads come from 5od (5od.co.uk), a small ad service run by the owner of this site. They’re contextual: 5od chooses a banner to suit the page you’re reading, not you. 5od itself sets no cookies and builds no profile of you; your browser sends it the site, the ad position and size, and the address of the page.

The banners are for shops and brands in the Awin affiliate network. Awin’s banner images and links can set Awin’s own cookies: when a banner is shown, and when you click one, so that a purchase can be credited to us. That’s why nothing loads until you choose:

• Accept ads cookies: banners load, and Awin is told you agreed.
• Reject: no banners load at all, and your browser doesn’t contact 5od or Awin for ads.
• JavaScript off: no ads load and you won’t be asked.

Like any website, 5od’s server sees your IP address when your browser asks it for a banner. 5od doesn’t store raw IP addresses: it keeps a scrambled (salted and hashed) version for up to 2 days, only to limit abuse.

Changing your mind

Use Cookie settings (also at the bottom of every page) to see your current choice and change it at any time. If you switch from accept to reject, banners stop loading straight away. Any Awin cookies already set stay in your browser until they expire, or until you delete them in your browser’s settings (clearing this site’s data also resets your choice, and we’ll ask again).

The bandwidth estimator

The estimator works out its answer in your browser as you type, or on our server if you press the button with JavaScript switched off. We don’t store your figures. Because the form puts them in the page address (so you can share or bookmark the result), they will appear in your browser history and may appear in our web server’s standard access logs.

The provider checklist

When you tick an item on the provider checklist, the tick is saved in your own browser (using “local storage”) so it’s still there next time. It is never sent to us. Use “Clear my ticks” on the page, or clear your browser’s site data, to remove it.

Directory requests

If you use the add or update your company form, we store what you send — the company details, your name, role and work email — so we can check the request and reply. We don’t publish your name or email, and we delete requests once they are dealt with (normally within 12 months). To stop casual spam we keep a scrambled (hashed) version of your IP address that changes every day; we never store the address itself.

Server logs

Like most websites, our hosting keeps standard web server logs — such as the page requested, the time, your IP address and browser type — for security and to fix problems.

Links to other websites

Links to other websites go through a short redirect on this site (/go/…). When you follow one we count the click — the date, which link and which of our pages it was on — but nothing that identifies you. Once you arrive on another website (for example a government page or a supplier’s website), that site’s own privacy policy applies.

If you email us

We use your email only to reply and keep correspondence only as long as needed.

Questions

Email hello@broadbandforschools.co.uk. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.