Biometrics - Cashless Catering

Our cashless catering system was introduced a number of years ago and is well embedded within school. The feedback we received about dinner cards are that they can very easily be lost and damaged. With this in mind, and in order to support students with receiving the most effective service in the dining hall, we have introduced alternative ways of registering the students. Moving to the bio-metric recognition system has proven to be effective and we hope all of our families will continue to support us in this development.

Bio-metrics authentication is the automatic recognition of a person’s characteristics i.e. fingerprint. There are many different bio-metric features that can be used for authentication purposes; at Rayner Stephens High School we use fingerprint recognition. Our system uses an image of the fingerprint to create a mathematical algorithm and then discards the fingerprint; only the numbers remain and these cannot be re-interpreted back into a fingerprint image.

Why do you need to take my child’s fingerprint?

By taking an image of your child’s fingerprint we can turn this information into a digital signature which will give them automatic access to the catering service.

Will fingerprints be used by any other agency?

No, the software we use turns your child’s fingerprint in to a mathematical algorithm. The image of the finger print is then discarded. The information that is stored cannot be used to recreate an image of the child’s fingerprint.

How does it work?

When your child places his/her finger on the scanner, the software matches their finger image with a unique digital signature held on the database. All data is kept confidential and safe and is deleted very easily once your child is no longer at the school.

Do I need to give permission?

All schools that have this system in place are required to obtain written parental consent for students who use biometric data as an automated recognition system. In order to obtain this permission, you will receive a letter when your child joins Rayner Stephens which will contain further details.  Should you have any queries regarding this well established system, please do contact the school office on 0161 338 2374.