We’re excited to announce that fingerprint recognition will soon arrive at CNS that will provide a faster and more straightforward catering experience for all students.

It is important to us that everyone in our school community (including parents, carers and students) are well-informed about this new development and that everyone has all the information needed before opting to use this new service.

This document contains detailed information about fingerprint recognition, how it works, how we will use the software, and most importantly, the benefits for students.

Why is Chipping Norton School introducing fingerprint biometrics?

Students with consent to use fingerprint biometrics can eliminate the need to remember passwords or carry physical identification cards and benefit from a simple and safe authentication process. Fingerprint biometrics works in the same way as other recognition technology. Like a PIN, a unique identifier is attributed to each student and matched for a quick and secure authorisation process.

How it works

• Consent: Students must opt-in to use fingerprint recognition before a fingerprint scan is taken. The biometric fingerprint scanner captures the unique trait (e.g., it takes an impression of the fingerprint). This fingerprint impression is not retained, stored, or distributed to third parties.
• Capture: During checkout, students place their fingers on the fingerprint scanner. In seconds, the system reads distinctive fingerprint features and processes them through an algorithm, which turns the fingerprint into a unique string of characters, serving as the students’ unique identifier. This unique identifier is stored on a secure, encrypted database within the school, and is used to verify students’accounts at the checkout.
• Authentication: The student’s unique identifier securely matches the live fingerprint to their cashless account, and the transaction can now occur.

Advantages of using fingerprint biometrics in schools

Fingerprint recognition is a straightforward way to recognise students without risking losing cards or forgetting passwords. Whether to register attendance at the start of the day, identify students at the dining hall point of sale, or authorise transactions in the school shop, fingerprint biometrics offers a straightforward way to identify and authenticate students.

On average, it takes just seconds for a student to place their fingerprint on the biometric scanner and then the system to identify their account, offering a fast and efficient authentication process.

Security of fingerprint biometrics

Biometrics, in this case, provides a unique identifier for the person present. 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 fingerprint 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.