School uniform
Recent changes in law states that schools must make sure that school uniforms are available at a reasonable price to parents and carers.
This could include second hand or ‘pre-loved’ uniform. For more information please contact your child’s school.
Read the statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms.
Buying and selling online
Some school items are either sold or donated on social media marketplaces such as Facebook, Gumtree and Next Door.
As with all online transactions, please keep safe by following these tips:
- communicate through marketplace - when communicating with sellers, it’s important to do so through the marketplace messaging system, this ensures that your conversation is secure and private
- be respectful and courteous, treat sellers with respect and be courteous when communicating with them
- only buy from sellers within your community - when buying on marketplace, stick to sellers from your local area or within your community
- check item descriptions carefully. Make sure to read the description carefully before buying an item to ensure it meets your expectations
- once the transaction is complete, you can leave feedback for the seller to let others know about your experience
Clothes banks and community hubs
There are many community hubs around Derbyshire offering localised support services such as food provision, benefit advice and in some cases school uniform support.
Find details on your local Community Hub.
Affordable credit
If you need to borrow to cover school costs, then there are safe and affordable ways to so.
One option is a community bank. These are not for profit financial organisations who offer affordable loans to those who struggle to access mainstream lending.
Loans can be used for help towards the cost of school uniforms and other essential school items.
Membership costs between £1 and £6 and many community banks now offer fully online banking.
As a responsible lender, a community bank will carry out affordability and credit checks before they approve a loan.
You can also save alongside paying back your loan, which can help with building up a nest egg for next year.
Plus, all savings are fully protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme of up to £85,000.
Find out more about community banks.