Cookie Policy
Last updated: October 2026
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They allow the site to remember your preferences and actions over time. Cookies cannot run programs or deliver viruses to your device.
How We Use Cookies
We use necessary cookies and local storage to keep the site working. Our analytics tools, Google Analytics and Vanguard Analytics, do not load at all until you choose “Accept” on our cookie banner, so nothing is sent to them before you consent. You can change your choice at any time with the Cookie settings link in the footer of every page.
Cookies We Use
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
pn_token (local storage) |
Authentication — keeps you logged in | Sign-in expires after 7 days; removed when you log out | Necessary |
pn_user (local storage) |
Stores your user profile preferences | Removed when you log out | Necessary |
pn_cookie_consent (local storage) |
Records your cookie consent choice (accepted or declined) | No expiry — kept until you change your choice or clear site data | Necessary |
_ga |
Google Analytics — helps us understand site usage | 2 years | Analytics |
_ga_* |
Google Analytics session tracking | 2 years | Analytics |
_va (session storage) |
Vanguard Analytics — a random ID that links the pages of one visit, for heatmaps and session recordings | Until you close the tab | Analytics |
_va_s (local storage) |
Vanguard Analytics — the same visit ID, the time of your last activity and a page count, so pages you open in new tabs count as one visit | Used for 30 minutes after your last activity; replaced on your next visit, or removed if you decline analytics | Analytics |
pn_cookie_consent_v (local storage) |
Records which version of the cookie banner you answered | Until cleared | Necessary |
pn_* keys (local storage), e.g. pn_streak, pn_last_course, pn_a11y |
Your practice streak, the topics you have tried, your last course, your start-page choices and your accessibility settings (text size, contrast, reduced motion). They make the site work the way you left it and stay on your device; if you sign in, your progress is also saved to your account | Until you clear your browser data | Necessary |
Necessary Cookies
Necessary cookies are required for the site to function. They enable core features such as logging in, staying logged in, and remembering your cookie preferences. These cookies do not require your consent under PECR because they are strictly necessary to deliver a service you have requested.
Analytics Cookies
Analytics cookies (Google Analytics 4) help us understand how visitors interact with PassNova — for example, which pages are most popular and where users drop off. The Google Analytics script is not loaded at all until you have accepted analytics on the cookie banner, so no analytics data is collected and no analytics cookies are set without your permission. We do not use Google Analytics for advertising: advertising storage, ad user data and ad personalisation are always switched off. Analytics never loads on Kids Zone or children’s course pages, and no cookie banner is shown there.
With the same consent we also use Vanguard Analytics, our own analytics tool, which runs on our server at analytics.jdsvanguard.co.uk. It records clicks, scrolling and page visits to build heatmaps, and for a sample of visits it records how the page changes so we can replay the visit and fix problems. Anything you type into a form is hidden and never recorded, your name and email are hidden wherever they appear on a recorded page (such as the site header and certificates), and your IP address is anonymised. Neither Google Analytics nor Vanguard Analytics runs on Kids Zone pages or on pages that show account details: sign-in, registration, password reset, email verification, your account and dashboard, team and admin pages. The data is deleted automatically after 90 days.
Managing Your Preferences
You can change your choice or withdraw your consent at any time: open Cookie settings (also linked in the footer of every page) and choose Accept or Decline. Declining after you had accepted stops analytics and removes the Google Analytics cookies we can reach.
You can also clear cookies and site data in your browser settings:
- Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Clear browsing data → Cookies and other site data
- Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data → Clear Data
- Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data → Remove All
- Edge: Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Clear browsing data
Your choice is kept in your browser’s local storage as pn_cookie_consent, not in a cookie, and it has no expiry date. Clearing this site’s data in your browser removes it, and the cookie banner will then reappear on your next visit so you can make a fresh choice.
Third-Party Cookies
Google Analytics cookies (_ga, _ga_*) are set by Google LLC. Google’s use of your data is governed by the Google Privacy Policy. These cookies are only set if you have consented. For more details on how your data is transferred internationally, see our Privacy Policy.
Global Privacy Control and Visitors in the United States
The same choices apply wherever you are. Google Analytics and Vanguard Analytics load only after you choose “Accept”, Google Analytics runs without its advertising features, and we do not sell or share your information for advertising.
If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control signal, we treat it as a request not to be tracked: neither analytics tool loads, and no cookie banner is shown. This applies even if you accepted analytics earlier. You can still change your choice on browsers that do not send the signal with Cookie settings.
When you start a Premium checkout, you are sent to Stripe’s own page, which sets its own cookies under Stripe’s privacy policy. For your rights under US state privacy laws, see the US section of our Privacy Policy.
More Information
For full details on how we collect and process your personal data, including your rights under UK GDPR, please read our Privacy Policy.
If you have questions about our use of cookies, please contact us at support@passnova.co.uk.