Cashless Catering Service to be introduced
Thursday, August 26, 2010

Dear Parents/Carers

We are pleased to announce that the Catering Service at Nicholas Chamberlaine is installing a new cashless system.

The system has many advantages including:-

• Students will be fed very quickly and efficiently

• Queuing times will be reduced

• Anonymity for pupils entitled to a free meal

• The potential to block the sale of specific foods for those students with dietary or allergy requirements

Overall the system will enable us to deliver a more efficient faster service and to continue to provide wholesome healthy and enjoyable meals at the lowest cost.

Methods of payment:-

All cash will have to be entered into the system by the student using the revaluation cash terminals and cannot be used to buy food directly at dinner counters. Students will be shown how to use the machine.

Alternatively cheques can be made out to Warwickshire County Council and placed in the post box provided at the school reception.

Please write the full name of the student and tutor group reference on the back of cheques and place it in an envelope and put into this post box. If the payment is to be shared between two students, identify both with their full name and tutor groups.

Similarly, monetary notes may be entered into the system in the same way – using the postbox with the student’s name and tutor group marked on the envelope.

Any amount of money can be paid into your account held within the system. Money spent on food will be taken out of the system and this can always be checked by using the revaluation terminal at school. It enables the student to see exactly how much they have left in their account. Money in the account is automatically carried over weekends, half terms and holidays. School will be able to provide you with a report detailing each item of food served, each credit made of the system for any time period and to show you the current balance, should you require this information from time to time.

There is a daily spend limit programmed into the system of £5.00 This can be increased or decreased for an individual student by making a written request to the school Catering Manager.

Students who are entitled to a free school meal will be issued a card exactly the same as other students. The daily allowance will automatically be added before lunch service. Any unused allowance for that day will be identified and removed. The following day the full allowance will automatically be added as before. A student can add extra credit to the system for break time snacks or extra food at dinnertime, by paying cash into one of the automatic cash terminals, which is held in the account until spent.

This system is now operating in numerous schools across the country. I have spoken to a number of Heads who have used the system and have seen it in action myself. It is most impressive and we are convinced that the system will enable us to serve healthy, hot and cold food to all students in a shorter time by reducing queuing.

The plastic card will need to be looked after carefully. Initial cards are given to each pupil free of charge. Replacement cards cost £2.00 - although in the event of a loss of card the money in the account will be untouched.

I do feel this is an important development and will be looking at ways to try to use the system to encourage healthy eating amongst pupils, once it is well established.



Mrs Sandra Russell
Warwickshire County Caterers

 

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