CASE STUDY
Expectations fulfilled
"We wanted the till system to be as efficient as possible, as the card readers we had before were very
slow and cumbersome. By upgrading the tills for proximity cards, it would be a faster system," says
Mr Wilders. "Gladstone's was the only system that met our objectives, interfacing with SIMS and
running on a Windows platform."
A successful implementation - including comprehensive training for canteen and administration staff -
was extended when the school integrated Gladstone's OnRecord application with the access system
for door control.
All of the hardware provided by Gladstone works as well today as it did when it was first installed. A
revaluation terminal located in the school's main entrance enables students to top up their accounts
and check their account balances. Three Electronic Point of Sale (EPoS) tills were supplied for the
canteen and door controllers with proximity card readers secure twelve doors between the primary and
secondary schools. Gladstone's telephone software support and on-site hardware support services are
responsive and reliable.
Simplified identity management
The photographic ID card supplied by Gladstone for each student has more than one purpose - it's a
proximity card when paying for meals, a swipe card with magnetic stripe for accessing lockers, and a
barcode printed on the card is used for accounts at the public library. School staff can also use their cards
to work the door access controls. These additional enhancements have significantly increased the value of
the school's original investment in OnRecord Cashless.
Saving time in administration and also in the canteen
"The OnRecord system has saved us an awful lot of time in the office," he says. "We don't have a stream
of students coming in to pay money onto their accounts as it all goes through the revaluation terminal.The
staff in the office can also respond to parental enquiries. Gladstone OnRecord provides us with full
reconciliation statements so we can reconcile the cash takings back to the pupils accounts on a daily
basis."
Administration of the OnRecord system is done on-screen by staff with no need for paper reports (although
printed statements for parents are available on request). Office staff can administer free school meals,
account balances, and cash flow while canteen staff find it much easier to manage mealtimes, menus, or
track food sales. With a seamless link to the school's management information system (Capita SIMS) it is
little wonder that Mr Wilders calls the system "very intuitive and easy to use."
A rolling lunch break arrangement sees 180 children passing through the canteen every 30 minutes.
Approximately 95% of the 750 students have a meal, which is a remarkably high uptake.
For information on the
"Gladstone OnRecord Cashless enables us to get the students through far quicker. If we had to revert to a
OnRecord solution suite
cash system, we would have to double the length of our lunch break and extend the school day," says Mr
Wilders. "I wholeheartedly recommend Gladstone as the level of support and guidance you get is first class."
Contact Us
A bright future
T: +44 (0) 8451 27 10 10
The four-year old OnRecord Cashless catering system has now put the school into an advantageous
position for the future. New staff are easily trained and, when required, Gladstone provides additional
F: +44 (0) 1491 20 10 20
SQL reports. While no other enhancements are planned apart from normal software updates, the
system continues to perform exceptionally well. Thanks to Gladstone's efficient, flexible and easily
E: info@gladstone-education.com
extendable OnRecord solution, the prospect of far greater student numbers holds no fears for this
go-ahead secondary school.
www.gladstone-education.com
Gladstone Education Ltd Gladstone House Hithercroft Road Wallingford Oxfordshire OX10 9BT United Kingdom
Education
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