The Cottesloe Secondary School

ParentPay case study

Phase: Secondary

Local Authority: Buckinghamshire

Objectives

Make the most of existing system used to collect meal payments. Streamline processes and improve efficiency.

Solution

Use ParentPay for trips and other items. System already integrates with cashless catering and other systems to make process easier.

Outcome

Transformed the way we collect payments and streamlined processes. Convenient for parents.

The Cottesloe School went cashless

We asked Sonya Amor Marshall, School Business Manager from The Cottesloe School, in Bedfordshire (Buckinghamshire LA) why they made the move to cashless, and how they’ve made such a success of the conversion. Sonya explains:

“ParentPay was already in place when I joined the school, which was originally implemented by our caterers to collect the school meal income.”

Many ParentPay users are introduced to ParentPay through their caterers, and go on to use the system to collect income for other school items and activities online.

Making the most of the system

ParentPay can be used to collect payments online and through PayPoint for different items, Sonya outlines why their school decided to make other school items available for parents to pay for online, such as revision guides, trips and other activities:

“Our Finance team were keen to expand the use of the system because it was easy to use, and having seen how it changed the process of collecting cash and cheques, we knew it would help streamline everything in accounts.”

Sonya adds: “ParentPay has made life so much easier for the ladies in our finance office, it has transformed our processes and made collecting payments much more efficient. All the information they need is right there in front of them, they can see live balances of trips and other school items as well as those from the cashless catering system in the canteen.

Not only does ParentPay integrate with our till system, but it feeds straight into our Private Funds Manager too, which has further reduced the work load for our finance team.”

Encouraging parents to get onboard

Parent uptake of the system is key, Sonya explains how The Cottesloe School helped parents make the change:

“Our finance officer has worked with parents to help them activate their accounts where needed. We’ve also provided access to a PC in the library for them to use should they need to. We keep in touch with parents, sending newsletters and reminders from within the ParentPay system, and provide PayPoint cards and letters where required.”

Sonya concludes: “There are so many advantages of becoming cashless, and it’s really convenient for parents, if schools are considering making the change, I’d recommend it.”