Cashless Catering – Facial Recognition Software
At Driffield School and Sixth Form, we use a cashless catering system that allows students to purchase food from our canteen quickly and easily using facial recognition technology.
This system enables students to collect their meals and pay simply by looking at a camera at the till; there is no need for cash or a card. It’s a secure and efficient way for students to access food during break and lunch times.
The facial recognition system is provided by CRB Cunninghams, who work closely with the school to ensure everything runs smoothly. Using this method helps us reduce queues, improve service speed, and eliminate issues such as lost or forgotten cards.
Parents and carers must give consent for their child to use this system. Consent can be provided by either the link below or by emailing office@driffieldschool.org.uk.
Facial Recognition Consent Form
Student accounts can be topped up via Parent Pay.
How the technology works
This system uses facial recognition to make paying for school meals quick and secure. When your child chooses their meal, they simply look at a camera, which recognizes them using unique facial features. This links to their school meal account and processes the payment—no need for cash or cards. It’s designed to be safe, fast, and easy to use.
Security of facial recognition
The system is designed with strong security in mind. It doesn’t store images of your child’s face. Instead, it converts their facial features into a secure code using advanced encryption – similar to what’s used in online banking. This code cannot be turned back into an image, ensuring your child’s data stays safe and private.
FAQs
What are biometrics?
Biometrics authenticates people based on their unique characteristics and identifies possible matches to ensure accurate and secure identification. Facial Recognition is a type of biometrics that we use in various aspects of life, including:
- Security: unlocking phones, accessing secure buildings, and logging into accounts
- Identification: faster check-ins at airports and hospitals
- Convenience: logging into computers and making payments for school meals
What pupil data is stored and where?
Biometric recognition operates on a closed-loop system, which means student data is stored on our internal secure database.
Can any other agency or 3rd party use the facial images?
No, the information is never shared, and the face template representing the students’ faces is meaningless to anyone else. The software turns your child’s image into a mathematical algorithm, and the stored information cannot be used to recreate the face image.
What happens when my child leaves the school?
All biometric data can be deleted; the school is the data controller and can delete the data from its databases. You can opt-out anytime, meaning the school will delete the biometric data.
What if I object to my child using Facial Recognition? Can my child still purchase school meals?
Parents and students reserve the right to object to using Facial Recognition. We have previously used dinner cards at Driffield School but we are now in the process of phasing these out. Any student who wishes to purchase a school meal without being on the facial recognition system will need to collect a payment slip from the finance office each day, however this will significantly slow down your child purchasing their school meals.
Is this technology ‘live’?
No; catering staff must activate the process at the point of sale for students that have consented to use Facial Recognition. The system is not live; the cameras only capture students’ images for the transaction process when the staff activates the software.