1,000 families and counting sign up for online school payments

MORE than 1,000 families in Moray have signed up to pay for school meals online.

Moray Council has introduced a new-and-improved school payments system, which parents and carers have already pre-purchased over 9,500 school meals from. Soon other school-related purchases, like trips and uniform will be available for online payment.

All secondary schools in Moray are using the new payment system. Eight primary schools have already implemented it and the remainder will follow suit in the coming weeks. Primary school pupils are now placing electronic lunch orders in the classroom.

Stuart McQuaker, Head Teacher at Elgin’s West End Primary, said online payments were already making parents and carers’ lives easier.

“We’ve all got busy lives - not all parents make it into school each week to purchase dinner tickets, and they may be reluctant to send their children to school with cash.

“Paying for school meals online it means parents have the choice to purchase as many meals in advance as they wish, at any time, as well as other benefits like viewing the balance on the account, topping up funds for all their children at the same time, and even seeing a transaction history, so they know what their child has eaten at lunch.”

Chair of Moray Council’s Policy & Resources Committee, Cllr Aaron McLean, said investment in online council services is vital.

“Our residents expect to be able to access council services online and it’s important that we meet this expectation. 

"We’ve been working with parents and carers, and school staff in the run up to introducing this and it’s great to see it up-and-running in the classroom and at home.”