Half of schools will soon be cashless

A total of 31 of Renfrewshire’s 62 schools will be up and running with a cashless payment system by the end of November, council bosses say.

The system, dubbed ParentPay, allows parents to pay for school lunches, fun days, trips, events, activities and equipment online.

It launched at six schools in Renfrewshire in January, with a further 13 schools moving onto the system in the spring.

The following schools will all introduce the system by the end of November: Arkleston Primary, Barsail Primary, Bishopton Primary, Gallowhill Primary and Nursery, Inchinnan Primary, Kirklandneuk Primary, Langbank Primary, Newmains Primary, Park Mains High, Ralston Primary and Nursery, Rashlielea Primary, and Renfrew High.

It is expected that all Renfrewshire schools will have ParentPay by the end of 2020.

ParentPay, which is already used in more than 9,000 UK schools, allows parents and carers to make payments into their child’s account.

They can also see what their child has ordered for lunch and keep a record of all the payments they have made.

Parents and carers who don’t use online banking can put money into their child’s account at their nearest PayPoint, located in newsagents and other local shops.

Activation letters with step-by-step instructions on how to register for ParentPay will be sent out to parents and carers before their child’s school moves into the new system, the local authority said.