Last updated: 7 August 2026
This policy explains the cookies globalpathways.co.uk sets, what each one does and how long it stays on your device. It sits alongside our Privacy Policy and reflects our obligations under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) and UK GDPR.
Nothing except the strictly necessary cookies below is set until you tell us we can. When you first arrive, analytics and advertising are switched off, and they stay off unless you accept them. Rejecting is a single click, exactly like accepting — and it will not limit anything on the site.
We record your decision and the date you made it. After six months we ask again, so your consent never becomes something you gave once and forgot about.
These make the site work and are exempt from consent. The only one we set is the record of your own cookie preferences.
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| gp_consent | Global Pathways | Stores your cookie choices and the date you made them, so we do not ask again. | 6 months |
Google Analytics, loaded through Google Tag Manager, tells us which guides people actually read and where they give up. We use it to decide what to write next. It is not used to identify you, and IP addresses are anonymised by Google before we see anything.
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes one visitor from another so page views are not double-counted. | 2 years |
| _ga_<container-id> | Google Analytics | Keeps track of the current session. | 2 years |
Google Ads lets us see which adverts led to a genuine enquiry, and show our adverts to people who have visited before. If you reject this category we still run adverts — we simply cannot tell which of them worked.
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| _gcl_au | Google Ads | Records that you arrived from one of our adverts, so we can tell which ones lead to enquiries. | 90 days |
| IDE / test_cookie | Google (doubleclick.net) | Measures advert performance and supports remarketing. | Up to 13 months |
Our live chat is provided by Tawk.to. Its script is not loaded when the page opens: the chat button you see is ours, and Tawk.to is only fetched once you click it and confirm. That is why a conversation carries across pages without us tracking every visitor who never wanted to chat.
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| __tawkuuid, TawkConnectionTime | Tawk.to | Identifies you across pages during a live chat so the conversation carries over. Only set once you open the chat. | Session to 6 months |
We use Google Consent Mode v2. In plain terms: before any Google tag loads, we tell it that storage is denied. If you accept, we send an update and the tags begin working normally. If you do not, Google receives anonymous, cookieless pings only — no identifiers are stored on your device.
We do not use social media pixels, session-recording or heat-mapping tools, or data brokers. Vercel Speed Insights measures page performance without cookies and without identifying visitors, which is why it is not listed above.
Use the button above, or the Cookie settings link in the footer of every page. You can also clear cookies in your browser at any time — in Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge this sits under Settings → Privacy. Withdrawing consent is as easy as giving it, and takes effect immediately.
Global Pathways College Ltd, registered in England & Wales (Company No. 13336031). Email info@globalpathways.co.uk. If you are not happy with how we handle your data you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.