FAQs
SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS
How much will it cost for my school to subscribe?
A school subscription for one year is $125 or £100 for up to 250 learners, in your school or year group, plus $0.50 or £0.40 for each additional learner. Every learner will be able to gain access to the Q-files site, both at school and from home.
So if you are a school or year group with, say, 400 learners, you will pay $125.00 plus $75.00 (150 additional learners), a total of $200.00. (In pounds sterling, that’s £100.00 plus £60.00, a total of £160.00).
If you are a school or year group with 250 learners or less, the annual fee is $125.00 (£100.00).
What if I do not know how precisely many “learners” there at my school or college?
Ideally, we need this figure in order to calculate an accurate subscription fee for you. Please contact us at info@q-files.com for assistance.
Will everyone in the school be able to use Q-files? And from home?
Yes. Once you have subscribed (or during your 30-day free trial period), every learner at your school will be able use Q-files, both in class or at home. All they need to do is enter the school’s email address and password (or the unique referral link, URL, see Logging in and Out below) when they log in.
If you don’t have an email to use to sign up, please contact us at info@q-files.com.
What if learners pass on the log in details to others not in the school that has paid a subscription?
The Terms and Conditions you sign up to forbid the passing on of log in details to non-subscribers, so your school should discourage learners from doing this. We are able to monitor the numbers of learners using the site.
I handle subscriptions for a number of schools. What procedure should I follow?
Please contact us at info@q-files.com and we will supply you with a quote by return.
How much will it cost to subscribe if I am a teacher?
For teachers who want to use Q-files in their class (including use by their students in school and from home) for class sizes up to 40 students, a subscription is $54 or £42 per year.
LIBRARIES
I am a library and I am interested in subscribing to Q-files. How much will it cost to subscribe and how do I go about doing so?
Please contact us at info@q-files.com.
I am a library and I would like borrowers to have access to Q-files using their library cards. Can that be arranged?
Currently that method is not available I’m afraid. But our development team are working on this and we should be able to provide library card access shortly. Please contact us at info@q-files.com with your contact details, so we can inform you when this facility is in place.
HOME USERS
How much will it cost to subscribe if I want my family to use Q-files at home?
To use Q-files at home, a monthly subscription is £1.99 or $2.50. An annual subscription is £20 or $25.
Can I cancel my subscription?
If you have a monthly subscription, you can cancel at any time by clicking here. If you subscribe annually, your subscription will not be automatically renewed so there's no need to cancel.
Once I have subscribed, can I log on to Q-files anywhere? And use it on different devices?
Yes. You log in using your email address and password, and this can be done on any device anywhere. Please note, with home subscriptions, only one user will be able to log in at any one time.
I would like to buy a gift subscription. Is this possible?
Yes. You should purchase an individual subscription with the email address of the person who is receiving the gift, so they can create their own password when they receive the confirmation email from Q-files.
OTHER
I run a home school. How should I subscribe?
You can subscribe as a home user at a cost of £1.99 or $2.50 a month or £20 or $25 a year. If you require Q-files for more users than just one, you can purchase a teacher's subscription for £42 or $54 per year.
What if I am neither a school (or college) nor a library, but I have multiple users who wish to gain access to Q-files? How do I go about subscribing?
We would be pleased to discuss an annual subscription plan with you. Please contact us at info@q-files.com.
THE SUBSCRIPTION PROCESS
Can I sample some pages before subscribing?
Yes. We are offering free access to 10 Q-files pages, and to our current Q-news pages. Please click on the appropriate panels on the home page to view them. Please note, clicking on links within these free pages will take you to the subscription pages.
I am interested in subscribing, but would rather not fill in an online form. What can I do?
The online subscription process is quick and secure. Please contact us at info@q-files.com for assistance.
I want to pay in a currency other than dollars (USD) or pounds (GBP). How do I do that?
Our subscription rates are currently calculated in either of those two currencies only. Your payment card will be debited in your home currency at current exchange rates.
Can I pay by another method i.e. not using a credit or debit card?
I’m afraid we can only accept payment by this method for teachers and individuals. But if you are a school and wish to pay by bank transfer, please contact us at info@q-files.com and we will make the necessary arrangements.
If at the end of my annual subscription plan I decide I would like to renew it, what happens next?
We will send you a notification email shortly before your annual subscription period ends, asking if you would like to re-subscribe. We will not automatically bill your payment card for a subsequent 12 month period. If, as we hope, you would like to re-subscribe, then you will be directed to our subscription page and asked to enter your up-to-date details.
If at the end of my annual subscription plan I decide not to renew, do I need to inform you?
When we send you our notification email shortly before your annual subscription period ends, simply disregard it. Please note, however, we will not be able to offer you another free trial period should you wish to re-subscribe at a later date.
LOGGING IN AND OUT
How do I log in?
Once you have subscribed, you will have a username (your email address) and password. When you go to Q-files.com, click on the Log in button at the top. Enter your email address and password on the subscriber log in page and press Submit. This will take you to the Q-files home page.
Is the password case sensitive?
Yes, both username (your email) and password are case sensitive.
Can my school get a unique referral link (URL) to access Q-files without logging in with email and password?
Yes. If you require a URL for your school, please contact us at info@q-files.com and we will send one to you.
I’m a home user. Can I get a URL?
URLs are available for schools only, I’m afraid.
Can I use Q-files on my phone or tablet?
Yes. Q-files can be viewed on all computer devices. It is particularly suitable for use on tablets, where the portrait format and touchscreen facility allows children to explore what Q-files has to offer very easily. A customized version of Q-files for use on smartphones is available.
Do I need to log out each time we have finished a session on Q-files?
If you or a learner are using a public computer i.e. one that someone else will be using afterwards, please log out by clicking on the button in the top right corner of any page in Q-files. If you are using your own private device, there is no need to log out between sessions.
MORE ABOUT Q-FILES
What age range of children is Q-files suitable for?
Q-files is ideal for children aged 7-13. For younger children, or for those who need a little more encouragement to read and understand various topics, look for the LET'S EXPLORE pages. These are easily found in the scroll-down menus for most of the subject areas, but you can also reach them from the LET'S EXPLORE Home page here. In any case, children of any age will get a lot from the site, which is highly illustrated and covers many hundreds of subjects of general interest. Students who are 14 or older may also find Q-files extremely useful, especially as an introduction to new subjects at school or as a glossary of unfamiliar terms.
What subjects does Q-files cover?
With more than 2000 pages (and growing by the week), Q-files covers an extremely wide range of topics under the following headings: Earth, Life, Science, Technology, Space, Geography, Culture, History and Prehistoric. Click here for a complete list of pages in Q-files.
Does Q-files cover the school curriculum?
Q-files is perfect for school work, both in class and at home. An entire reference library at your fingertips, the site is ideal for background reading (in preparation for lessons) and assisting with homework or project work. Click here to find out the many ways Q-files can help enormously with learning. Q-files is aligned with Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 in the UK, grades 3 through 8 in the US and grades 5 through 10 in Australia and New Zealand.
Who created Q-files? How can I be sure that the information in it is accurate and trustworthy?
Q-files is the creation of Orpheus Book Ltd., one of the world’s leading producers of children’s non-fiction and reference books. You can find out more about us here. All the pages in Q-files have been written by skilled specialist children’s authors and carefully verified by our expert team of academic consultants. Feel free to read our reviews here to get an impression about what teachers and educators think of the site.
How often is Q-files updated?
Q-files is updated weekly—often even more frequently—as new discoveries are made, new facts emerge or better examples become available. New pages and improvements to existing pages are added regularly. Our Q-news feature covers items in the news likely to be of special appeal to our young readers, and is updated each week or so.