Biometric fingerprint entry access system protects children from harm at Lucker Nature Kindergarten

Located in the sleepy coastal hamlet of Lucker in the original old village school, Lucker Nature Kindergarten provides child care for fifteen children between the ages of twelve months and five years. In addition to a secure, homely atmosphere, Lucker Nature Kindergarten offers a unique ‘magic woods’ natural learning environment The nursery offers wrap around care between 8.30am and 5.30pm with a holiday club for children up to eight years of age. Lucker Nature Kindergarten was established in 1998, by Lorraine Pattison whose daughter Hollie Walker manages the nursery.

Lucker Nature Kindergarten at Lucker near Belford has installed a biometric fingerprint entry access system promoting the ‘Every Child Matters’ initiative. This new system provides additional protection for children and nursery staff. Manager Hollie Walker specified the biometric locks to raise security while making access easier for carers and parents.

The new system, supplied by Newcastle based UKB International Ltd, allows nursery personnel to register parent’s fingerprints in seconds. Parents then simply press their fingerprint on a sensor pad at the door to gain fast, easy access. They can leave or collect their children without fuss while un-registered visitors must ring a bell and wait for a member of staff. The new biometric system means a member of staff is not needed to answer the door, but can concentrate on supervising the children, maintaining staff-child room ratios.

The biometric scanner identifies key points on the users fingerprint. No actual fingerprint is stored since the scan is converted into data which is then encrypted and retained for future comparison. The encrypted data is only held by the nursery making it fully data compliant.

Nursery manager Hollie Walker says: “Our new biometric access system means greater security for children and staff, which is a paramount concern to us. Fingerprint entry means only registered parents and staff can access the nursery and they can do so easily without having to wait for a staff member to answer the door. If we had installed a swipe card security system people could easily forget or lose their cards, and we would be concerned the cards could fall into the wrong hands. Now we can be certain that only people registered on our biometric system can gain entry to the nursery”

Lucker Nature Kindergarten holds a ‘Good’ OFSTED report in all areas of their childcare and education. Another OFSTED report praised the biometric entry system as ‘Protecting children from harm’.

UKB International Regional Support Manager Craig White says: “Security is a paramount concern at Lucker Nature Kindergarten and the management has specified the only key which cannot be lost, stolen, forged or hacked – the human fingerprint. Now staff, management and parents are comforted knowing only authorised persons can gain access to the nursery.”