Arbor Pay

At Shoreham Academy we have a cashless electronic payment system for school meals.

This enables us to deliver an efficient, fast service as well as providing wholesome and healthy meals at a low cost. This does away with the need to send your child into school with cash every day.

All students this year will continue to use swipe cards. The account is then accessed by swiping the card near the pads attached to the tills in the Diner.

Cash will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances and with prior agreement with the Bursar. All payments should be made online via Arbor.

Parent Systems 2024 - Quick Links

Payment by cheque

Cheques should be made payable to Shoreham Academy. Please write the students name, mentor group and ‘diner account' on the back of the cheque and hand the cheque in at Reception. If you have more than one child at the school you need only write one cheque as long as you specify how much should be credited to each named child.

Cash

The academy primarlily uses electronic payment systems. Cash will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances and with prior agreement with the Bursar. All payments should be made online via Arbor pay.

Payment by Bank Card

Sixth Form Students can pay with their own bank cards using card reader at Sixth Form servery.

Cashless System FAQs

What is a Cashless System?

At the heart of the cashless system there is a computer controlled by software. This allows the system to recognise each individual pupil, hold individual cash balances, record cash spent and cash received, record where money is spent, on what food, on any specific date and time of day.

How is the system used by pupils?

The pupil will collect food on a tray and take it to a till. They will then place their finger on a pad. A display will show the server a photo of the pupil. Their name, class and current cash balance will also be displayed as well as any dietary restrictions or spending limits. The selected food items will be entered into the system from an itemised list on the monitor while the amount spent and a new cash balance will show on the display.

How are dietary restrictions applied?

Should the pupil have a specific food allergy, or be a diagnosed diabetic, this medical information can be registered on the system advising the till operator not to allow specific items to be purchased.

Will we be able to have information on how the system is being used?

Reports can be obtained from the system giving comprehensive information on all aspects of use for each individual pupil as well as each day's service. These reports can be for a specific day or between any dates you wish and can be obtained from the Finance Office. Reports can show every item of food purchased, the cost and time of the transaction as well as listing payments made into the account.

What about pupils entitled to free school meals?

The system works exactly the same for all pupils whether they pay or have free school meals. The amount allocated for the free school meal will be entered into the individual pupil's account on a daily basis. This can be spent at lunchtimes only. However, any underspend or missed lunch will not be carried over to the next day.

The pupil can also add extra cash on to his or her balance in any of the usual ways, to enable them to spend more than the cost of a free school meal. Extra cash added in this way can also be used for breakfast or break time snacks as well as at lunchtime. This money will stay in the system until spent.

Parents