Description
Northampton Schools PFI project is a 32 year contract operated by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) led by Amber Infrastructure Ltd involving construction work by Galliford Try. The contract is for the construction of 11 new and 30 refurbished schools and provision of FM and lifecycle services by Amey across the estate for the full contract term.
Amey provides the following services:
- Janitorial
- Grounds maintenance
- Cleaning
- Building maintenance
- Window cleaning
- Catering
- Security
- Helpdesk
- Winter service
- Environmental management
- Manned guarding
- General recycling
- Pest control
Innovations
Amey is responsible for serving approximately 1.2 million school meals per annum across the UK. In Northampton alone, over half a million meals are served annually and, due to academic timetabling restrictions, approximately 1400 staff and pupils need to be served hot food within a thirty minute window each day. Our challenge was to make the meal purchasing process as fast and efficient as possible.
Working in partnership with the Education Authority and individual schools, we devised a system using biometric cashless tills. Instead of handling money or tokens, the students used a thumb scanner. This technology removed the need for cash-handling, and allowed a reduction in the resources needed to handle transactions at the tills. The resource could instead be directed back into the kitchen, preparing meals and ensuring hot food is ready when it is needed.
Currently the system is implemented in four schools throughout Northampton. The system costs approximately £20,000 per school with the funding provided by the local education authority, and Amey providing the support and knowledge gained from a similarly successful scheme in our Scottish schools contracts.
The scheme has proved very successful in allowing the delivery of hot food to increasingly large numbers of customers within a very tightly time-constrained environment.
Since the installation of the system, canteens at the schools involved have reported an average 15% increase in customer numbers. This is particularly impressive due to the traditionally low customer numbers during the summer term. It is believed this upward trend in performance is a result of the improved ease of use of the new system and the increased time that students have to eat their meal.
It is hoped that in traditionally more productive months the increase in meal uptake could well exceed 20%. This will allow Amey increased catering turnover, reduced food waste and therefore improved profitability on the contract. The Northampton example provides another reference site for Amey’s use of this innovative technology, to support its rollout across our schools portfolio.
The introduction of the new system has reduced the risks associated with cross contamination, as food handlers are no longer dealing with cash. The system also allows for the anonymity of any students receiving free school meals, alleviating any potential social stigma attached for the student.