Biometrics
Notification Of Intention To Process Student’s Biometric Information
The school wishes to use information about your child as part of an automated (i.e. electronically-operated) recognition system. This is for the purposes of paying for food in the canteen and potentially in future, borrowing from the library, accessing school printers, monitoring attendance and gaining access to secure areas around the site. The information from your child that we wish to use is referred to as ‘biometric information’ (see next paragraph). Under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (sections 26 to 28), we are required to notify each parent of a child and obtain the written consent of at least one parent before being able to use a child’s biometric information for an automated system.
Biometric information and how it will be used
Biometric information is information about a person’s physical or behavioural characteristics that can be used to identify them, for example, information from their fingerprint or from facial recognition. The school would like to take and use information from your child’s fingerprint and face and use this information for the purpose of paying for food in the canteen and potentially in future, borrowing from the library, accessing school printers, monitoring attendance and gaining access to secure areas around the school site.
The information will be used as part of an automated biometric recognition system. This system will take measurements of your child’s fingerprint and convert these measurements into a template to be stored on the system. An image of your child’s fingerprint is not stored. The template (i.e. measurements taking from your child’s fingerprint) is what will be used to permit your child to access services.
You should note that the law places specific requirements on schools when using personal information, such as biometric information, about pupils for the purposes of an automated biometric recognition system. For example:
- the school cannot use the information for any purpose other than those for which it was originally obtained and made known to the parent(s) (i.e. as stated above);
- the school must ensure that the information is stored securely;
- the school must tell you what it intends to do with the information;
- unless the law allows it, the school cannot disclose personal information to another person/body.
Providing your consent/objecting
As stated above, in order to be able to use your child’s biometric information, the written consent of at least one parent is required. However, consent given by one parent will be overridden if the other parent objects in writing to the use of their child’s biometric information. Similarly, if your child objects to this, the school cannot collect or use his/her biometric information for inclusion on the automated recognition system.
You can also object to the proposed processing of your child’s biometric information at a later stage or withdraw any consent you have previously given. This means that, if you give consent but later change your mind, you can withdraw this consent. Please note that any consent, withdrawal of consent or objection from a parent must be in writing.
Even if you have consented, your child can object or refuse at any time to their biometric information being taken/used. Their objection does not need to be in writing. We would appreciate it if you could discuss this with your child and explain to them that they can object to this if they wish.
The school is also happy to answer any questions you or your child may have.
If you do not wish your child’s biometric information to be processed by the school, or your child objects to such processing, the law says that we must provide reasonable alternative arrangements for children who are not going to use the automated system to pay for food in the canteen, borrow from the library, access school printers, monitor attendance and gain access to secure areas around the site.
If you give consent to the processing of your child’s biometric information, please sign, date and return the admissions form provided to you on application to Queen's Park High School.
Please note that when your child leaves the school, or if for some other reason he/she ceases to use the biometric system, his/her biometric data will be securely deleted.
BIOMetrICS for cashless catering
At Queen's Park High School we use a cashless catering system featuring Facial Recognition which offers a fast and straightforward payment experience for school meals.
Facial Recognition offers a quick and secure way for students to purchase school meal items without needing cash and the risk of losing cards or forgetting passwords. With Facial Recognition, students simply select their meal, look at the camera and go, speeding up the lunchtime service with a contactless point-of-sale experience. Facial Recognition is faster than using a finger or thumbprint biometric.
This technology will be used as an additional authentication method at the checkout counters, providing faster service for students. Our goal is to help students reclaim time to enjoy their meal breaks and nutritious meals and make it easier to attend lunch enrichment activities.
How the technology works
With Facial Recognition technology, students simply choose their meal, look at the checkout camera, and proceed with a quick and secure point-of-sale experience.
Facial Recognition is a biometric recognition method that works in the same way as other recognition technology. Like a PIN, a unique identifier is attributed to each student and matched at the till for quick and secure access to their cashless account.
An image of the face is captured, and the software turns unique features of the face geometry, such as the distance between the eyes and the distance from the top of the forehead to the chin, to create a unique identifier for each student.
Whenstudents pay for their meal items at the point of sale, the camera matches their unique identifier to their cashless account to take payment.
How the transaction process works
- Consent: Students must opt-in to use Facial Recognition before an image is taken. If they do not consent to using the software, the till operator cannot activate the Facial Recognition process.
- Capture: The biometric system captures an image of the student’s face. This image is not retained, stored, or distributed to third parties, and Facial Recognition cameras are only located at the point of sale for school meal transactions or in the school office for registration.
- Collection: The system reads distinctive features from the image and processes it through an algorithm. This process turns the image into a unique string of characters, which serves as the student’s unique identifier. This unique identifier is stored on a secure, encrypted database within the school and is used to verify student’s accounts at the checkout.
- Identification: During checkout, the cashier initiates the system to verify their account and process the transaction. The cashier must activate this process; the system is not live for students. A picture of the student is captured and processed through the algorithm to confirm their unique identifier and access their account. The image is not kept on record; only their unique identifier is stored.
Security of Facial Recognition
Biometrics, in this case, provides a unique identifier for the person present at the checkout. The unique identifier is created by processing the biometric capture through a mathematical algorithm, generating a unique number. Only this number is stored; the captured image is not retained. This data is encrypted using AES 256 (similar to encryption used by your online banking) and cannot be reversed to produce an image of the biometric, ensuring the highest level of security and compliance.
FAQ
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 student data is stored and where?
Biometric recognition operates on a closed-loop system, which means student data is stored on our 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 student's 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 in line with school policy.
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. Any student not wishing to opt-in will be issued an alternative identification method, e.g., finger biometric or PIN.
How can my child pay for items?
Parents can continue to top-up student accounts online using ParentMail. Students can also top up their accounts using a cash loader located in school. When paying for items at the counter, a student can use either their Facial Recognition biometric, finger/thumb biometric or a PIN number.
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 student's images for the transaction process when the PoS staff activates the software.
