Private school ditches paper registers for QR codes to track students signing in and out of school and reduce risk of exposure to COVID-19

19th April 2021, London. Students and teachers at private school, Score Academy, are using the Class Attendance Tracker (CAT) QR mobile app to sign in and out of school, replacing paper processes and reducing the risk of exposure to COVID-19.

Score Academy specialises in custom tailored 1-on-1 and small-group education. It’s important for Score Academy to know which students, as well as teachers and staff, are at school on any given day. In the past, they simply used a paper register at the entrance to the school, which could be problematic - causing frustration and queues of people waiting to sign in, and could result in students not signing in at all. Sometimes if students were late, they would simply change the time when they signed in. It could be a messy affair and the data wasn’t always accurate.

When the COVID-19 pandemic happened in 2020, it also became a safety issue. Having students and staff crowding around a table, and sharing pens was simply not an option anymore. They had considered keycards but with people holding the door for each other, that would have also produced inaccurate information. LeAnn Elder, Head of School at Score Academy Boca Raton, Florida, decided they needed a different solution, something that was contactless and something that was easy to use. She started searching on the Internet for some options, where she discovered Class Attendance Tracker (CAT) QR.

Instead of paper registers, Score Academy now uses CAT QR as their sign-in and sign-out attendance solution at the school. At the entrance to the school, they set up a kiosk with two laptops - one facing inwards to the school for the signing in and one outwards for students to sign out when they leave the school. Students and staff simply scan the unique CAT QR codes using their CAT QR mobile app, which immediately registers their sign-in or sign-out, providing real-time information for LeAnn and the team.

Score Academy uses the unique CAT QR ‘dynamic code’ functionality which means the QR code changes every few seconds, preventing students from cheating. The laptops are permanently on throughout the day. CAT QR is used daily for signing in and signing out for all students and staff. Staff and students at Score Academy love the simplicity of the app, and the leadership team do too.

There are no more queues, the data is accurate, and importantly they reduced the risk of infection. The real time information has allowed the leadership team to have a better handle on the attendance of their students as well as staff. Sometimes, if they are looking for a member of staff they can check CAT QR to confirm they are indeed at the school. The same goes for students and they can also check CAT QR retrospectively if there are any questions about a student’s attendance or tardiness.

And for students hoping to go to college, good attendance and good record keeping is crucial when applying to scholarships. In the event of an emergency, for instance a fire evacuation, they don’t have to grab a register anymore - they know they will be able to access the information from anywhere and any device, as long as they have an internet connection. The school is so happy with the simplicity, accuracy and overall setup of the system that they have decided to continue using CAT QR even when the pandemic is over.

The CAT QR solution was developed in conjunction with Barts Health NHS Trust, which employs over 24,000 staff and manages internationally renowned teaching hospitals, St Bartholomew’s Hospital and The Royal London Hospital.

While primarily designed as a solution for real-time recording of attendance at live events, both face-to-face and virtual, Barts Health is also using CAT QR for recording the collection of COVID-19 lateral flow testing kits, face mask fit testing, vaccination training as well as check-in & check-out of venues.

Click here to see a video of CAT QR in action at NHS Nightingale Hospital London where it was used to monitor the attendance for induction, simulation and training at London’s ExCeL and O2 centres.