Judges praised the ground-breaking e-Pay Cashless Schools Project for using forward-thinking methods to make immense improvements to the school meals service - and for having a huge, positive effect on the health and welfare of Croydon's children. The project had already been declared a clear winner locally as it provided a successful solution to creating cashless primary schools (and some secondary schools) since its launch in 2006.

Executive director of resources and customer services, Nathan Elvery, said: "Croydon's boroughwide project set ambitious targets - including a move to a cash-free environment within our schools - and it has achieved many goals, from healthier diets to greater safety." When parents send the money directly to the schools it means the children must eat at school, improving their dietary health and allowing parents to monitor what their child has eaten. Removing the need for children to carry money enables them to walk the streets more safely, and the scheme has helped curb bullying. Parents that don't wish to use a debit or credit card, or have limited access to the internet, can pay at any retailer displaying the PayPoint sign – there are 20,000 in the UK.

Mr Elvery added: "Providing meal data online gives every parent a good reason to use online technology - to view their children's meal choices and nutritional information.

"The project has also helped reduce CO2 emissions by taking cash-collection vehicles off the roads."

With the support of children services, many schools have been benefitting by using ParentPay to allow parents to pay for all their children's school trips, clubs and other items in one place online, further reducing the administration burden on the borough's schools.

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