*******Information regarding the CASHLESS CATERING SYSTEM *****************

Dear Parent/Guardian

Bridgend County Borough Council’s Children’s Directorate is implementing a cashless catering system for school meals, to support schools and parents with the payment and collection of school dinner money.

The system will be managed as a joint venture between the school and Catering Services.   For efficiency of administration the preferred option of payment for school meals with this system is through a secure BCBC online payment system but the school will still have the ability to accept cash if some parents do not have online access.

Clear instructions on how to pay for your child’s school meals online via the BCBC website are enclosed with this letter.  Pupil data within the system will be updated and managed by the school only. 

Pupil free meal entitlement data will be loaded within the system to ensure they remain anonymous at all times, therefore these parents are not required to take any action regarding cashless catering.

Each pupil at the school has a unique numerical identifier allocated to them.  Please keep your child’s unique number safe, to enable you to make payment for school meals.  The unique pupil number will be linked with a photographic image of your child to ensure that when your child presents themselves at the meal servery area, the correct amount is debited from the correct account at the terminal for meals received.  All photographs of pupils are secure within the system.

If you have made us aware of any diagnosed allergies to food, this information will be input into the system, to alert Catering Services staff.

Parents paying online for school meals must be aware that it is imperative that they credit their child’s account at least 24 hours before the expectation of a school meal, as all meals must be paid for in advance, or you must provide a home packed lunch for your child. Any queries about your child’s balance should be discussed with the school.

You will now have the ability to load your child’s account for a week, month or even a term, should you wish to. If your child is absent from school, all paid monies on your child’s account will be carried forward. Your child’s account will only be debited on the days that your child has a meal.

For details of how to pay online, go to the "Cashless Catering" tab under the parenst section.