Friday 13 December 2024
 7.3°C   SW Moderate Breeze
SCT - 2025/26 Small Grant SchemeSCT - 2025/26 Small Grant Scheme
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Education / Cashless canteen on the horizon for Anderson High School

Photo: SIC

A CASHLESS catering option will soon be in place at the Anderson High School in Lerwick, with new till points accepting payments using the Young Scot National Entitlement Card (NEC).

The long-awaited new technology will be in place within the next two weeks, offering pupils an option to pay electronically for school meals in the canteen using their Young Scot NEC card, linked to a ParentPay account.

The identity of those pupils who receive free meals will be protected. The school will allocate a daily allowance to these pupils, which can be topped up by parents if they wish.

Lerwick Community Council in particular has pressed for a cashless system to be introduced at the school amid concern that those receiving free school meals were easily identified, increasing stigma. They used a card, while other pupils used cash.

ParentPay is an online payment system for schools, which allows parents and carers to make secure payments for various services, including school meals and trips.

Parents will be able to upload funds to their child’s ParentPay account and their child can then make payments at the new till points using their Young Scot NEC card.

Parents can make top-up payments at a time that is convenient to them, and monitor their child’s payment history through the ParentPay account.

The new system is said to offer several benefits, including reduced cash handling by the school and less need for pupils to carry cash.

It is expected that pupils will make increased use of the new cashless till points in the coming months, alongside the existing cash and contactless tills that will continue to be available for a short time.

The new cashless catering system will also soon be installed at Brae High School and Sandwick Junior High School.

Children’s services director Helen Budge said: “This technology offers several benefits for pupils, parents and for the school and I’m delighted that these new till points will soon be in place at Anderson and Brae High Schools and at Sandwick Junior High School.

Become a member of Shetland News

 

“I’d encourage all parents to sign up for a ParentPay account if they haven’t already done so, and to check that their child has the latest version of the Young Scot NEC card which can be used with this new cashless system. More information has been sent to parents and carers.”

Responding to the development, Lerwick Community Council chairman Jim Anderson said it was “great news”.

“If only all school meal provision was free to all bairns, including their breakfast, then we wouldn’t need a payment system,” he said.

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.

 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please consider paying for membership and get the following features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.