| Version: 1.0 | Effective Date: June 2026 | Next Review: June 2027 |
This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, which cookies School Shop Direct Limited (“we”, “us”, “our”) uses on www.schoolshopdirect.co.uk (the “Website”), and how you can control them.
School Shop Direct Limited is registered in England and Wales. Our registered address is available on our website. We operate as a data controller under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
We encourage you to read this policy alongside our Privacy Policy, which sets out how we collect, use, and protect your personal data more broadly.
The use of cookies in the United Kingdom is governed by:
Under PECR Regulation 6, we are prohibited from storing or accessing information on your device unless we have: (a) provided you with clear and comprehensive information about our purposes; and (b) obtained your freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous consent — except where those cookies are strictly necessary for a service you have explicitly requested.
Consent obtained through pre-ticked boxes, passive browsing, or bundled agreement is not valid consent under UK law.
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, tablet, or mobile phone when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work, to work more efficiently, and to provide information to the site owner.
Cookies can be:
We use cookies for the following purposes, described in detail in Section 5 below:
The tables below list every cookie currently used on schoolshopdirect.co.uk, grouped by category. We review and update this list regularly. Last audited: June 2026.
These cookies are essential for the Website to function correctly. They enable core functionality such as your shopping cart, secure checkout, and user account login. The Website cannot operate properly without them.
Strictly necessary cookies do not require your consent under PECR. They are always active.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration | Set By |
| woocommerce_cart_hash | Detects when the contents of your shopping cart change, ensuring your cart is kept up to date. | Session | WooCommerce |
| woocommerce_items_in_cart | Detects when the contents of your shopping cart change, so the cart icon in the header refreshes correctly. | Session | WooCommerce |
| wp_woocommerce_session_[hash] | Contains a unique reference code for your shopping session, linking your cart data on our server. | 2 days | WooCommerce |
| wordpress_[hash] | Stores your authentication credentials when logged in to your School Shop Direct account. | Session | WordPress |
| wordpress_logged_in_[hash] | Identifies that you are logged in and ensures you remain logged in as you navigate the site. | Session | WordPress |
| wp-settings-[UID] | Stores personalisation preferences for the site interface. | 1 year | WordPress |
| PHPSESSID | Standard PHP session cookie used to maintain server-side session state across page requests. | Session | PHP / Server |
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-* | Records your cookie consent preferences so that you are not asked again on each visit. | 1 year | Cookie Consent Plugin |
| CookieLawInfoConsent | Records the version of the cookie policy you consented to. | 1 year | Cookie Consent Plugin |
| viewed_cookie_policy | Remembers that you have already seen the cookie notice banner. | 11 months | Cookie Consent Plugin |
These cookies enable enhanced functionality and personalisation, such as remembering products you have viewed. They are not strictly necessary for the site to operate, but they improve your experience.
We will only set these cookies if you have given your consent.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration | Set By |
| woocommerce_recently_viewed | Remembers which products you have recently viewed so we can display a personalised ‘Recently Viewed’ list. | Session | WooCommerce |
| wp-settings-time-[UID] | Stores the timestamp of when your interface preferences were last saved. | 1 year | WordPress |
We use analytics cookies to understand how visitors interact with our Website — for example, which pages are visited most, how long visitors spend on the site, and whether any errors occur. This information helps us improve our Website and the service we provide to you.
We use Google Analytics (GA4) for this purpose. Analytics data is aggregated and does not directly identify you, but because Google Analytics uses cookies that can be used to identify individuals, they are treated as non-essential under PECR and UK GDPR.
We will only set these cookies if you have given your consent.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration | Set By |
| _ga | Google Analytics — registers a unique ID to generate statistical data on how you use the website. | 2 years | Google Analytics (GA4) |
| _ga_[ID] | Google Analytics — used to persist session state across page requests. | 2 years | Google Analytics (GA4) |
| _gid | Google Analytics — registers a unique ID for a single-day visit to generate usage statistics. | 24 hours | Google Analytics (GA4) |
| _gat | Google Analytics — used to throttle the rate of requests to Google’s servers. | 1 minute | Google Analytics (GA4) |
For further information on how Google processes data collected through these cookies, please see Google’s Privacy Policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy.
Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites to deliver targeted advertisements that are relevant to your interests. They may be set by advertising networks with our permission and may be used to build a profile of your interests.
We will only set these cookies if you have given your explicit consent to marketing cookies.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration | Set By |
| _fbp | Facebook/Meta — used to deliver and measure advertisements, and to build audience profiles. | 3 months | Meta (Facebook Pixel) |
| _fbc | Facebook/Meta — stores the last click attribution for Facebook Ads conversion tracking. | 2 years | Meta (Facebook Pixel) |
| IDE | Google Ads — used to register and report actions after seeing or clicking an ad, for the purpose of measuring ad effectiveness. | 1 year | Google Ads |
| _gcl_au | Google Ads — used by Google AdSense for conversion tracking and storing consent information. | 3 months | Google Ads |
For further information about how Meta and Google process data collected through these cookies, please visit:
When you first visit our Website, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner. This banner allows you to:
Both the ‘Accept all’ and ‘Reject all’ options are displayed with equal visual prominence in line with ICO guidance. You will not be penalised or disadvantaged for declining non-essential cookies — all core shopping functionality remains available regardless of your choice.
Your preferences are saved in a consent cookie (listed in Section 5.1 above). You may change your mind and update your preferences at any time by clicking the ‘Cookie Settings’ link in the footer of our Website.
In addition to using our consent mechanism, you can control and delete cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to:
Please be aware that disabling strictly necessary cookies will prevent the website from operating correctly — you will not be able to add items to your cart or complete a purchase.
Links to cookie management instructions for major browsers:
For information on managing cookies on mobile devices, please refer to the documentation provided by your device manufacturer or mobile operating system.
You can opt out of certain third-party cookies directly through the following tools:
Some third-party cookies listed in this policy (particularly Google Analytics and Meta Pixel cookies) may result in data being transferred to and processed in the United States or other countries outside the United Kingdom.
Where such transfers occur, we rely on appropriate safeguards in accordance with UK GDPR Chapter V, including Standard Contractual Clauses (UK Addendum) or adequacy decisions issued by the Secretary of State. Further details are set out in our Privacy Policy.
Our Website is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children through cookies or any other means. If you believe that a child has provided personal data through our Website, please contact us at the address below and we will take steps to delete such information.
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes to the cookies we use, changes in applicable law, or changes to our Website. Any material changes will be brought to your attention via a notice on our Website and, where required by law, we will seek your consent again.
The ‘Effective Date’ at the top of this policy indicates when it was last updated. We recommend you check this page periodically to stay informed.
If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints about how we use cookies or process your personal data, please contact us:
| Company | School Shop Direct Limited |
| Website | www.schoolshopdirect.co.uk |
| retail@schoolshopdirect.co.uk | |
| Regulatory Authority | Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF. Tel: 0303 123 1113. Web: https://ico.org.uk |
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the ICO if you believe that your rights under PECR or UK GDPR have not been respected.
© School Shop Direct Limited — Cookie Policy v1.0 — June 2026
