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Weston-super-Mare academy adopts cashless catering system
14 Jun 2012

An academy in Weston-super-Mare has become the latest school to join the cashless catering revolution, rolling out a biometric solution for all 735 of its students.

When the new system goes live at the start of the coming term, students at Hans Price Academy will be able to pay for their school meal by simply pressing their fingertip against a biometric reader, the Somerset Post reported.

The technology, which has already been installed in the school canteen, means that pupils will no longer be able to pay for their dinner using cash.

Instead, their parents will top up an account using their credit or debit card which will then be accessed every time they touch their finger against the reader to buy their dinner.

For parents who do not want their children to have their finger print taken, a cashless smart card is offered as an alternative which can be topped up in the same manner.

Speaking to the news provider, Armando Di-Finizio, the academy's principal, reassured parents that none of the biometric data was shared with any external organisation.

"We have introduced this system primarily for safety and customer service and this information will be treated with maximum confidentiality," he said.

Cashless catering systems such as this are becoming more popular as schools and parents look to find ways at cutting the stigma associated with free school meals while also controlling what happens to pupils' dinner money.