Check-out and pickup authorisation workflow

Why a check-out workflow matters

A child who is collected by someone not on the authorised list is a safeguarding incident. The check-out workflow in School Vault creates a verifiable record of: who collected the child, at what time, and who released them. This record is attached to the attendance entry for the day and is visible in the Daily Journey PDF.

Step 1, Receiving a collector at the gate

1. When a person arrives to collect a child, ask for the child's name and the collector's name.
2. Go to Security from the sidebar and select the Check In/Out tab. Search for the student by name.
3. The student's profile opens. The Authorised Pickups list is shown prominently on the right side of the screen.

Step 2, Verifying the collector

1. Compare the collector standing in front of you with the names and photos on the Authorised Pickups list.
2. If the collector is on the list: their name shows with a green tick and their photo. Confirm their identity visually. If the photo matches, proceed to check-out.
3. If the collector is not on the list: do not release the child. Politely ask the collector to wait while you contact the primary parent or guardian to verify the request. Only a School Admin or the primary parent (via the parent portal) can add someone to the authorised pickups list on the day.

Step 3, Recording the check-out

1. Once the collector is verified, click their name on the Authorised Pickups list to select them as the collector.
2. The system records the current time as the check-out time automatically.
3. Click Confirm Check-Out. The student's attendance record for the day is updated: check-out time and collector's name are added.
4. A confirmation screen shows the child's photo, name, collector, and check-out time. This can be shown to the collector as a receipt if your school uses that workflow.

Checking who is still on site

The check-out screen doubles as a real-time roll call of children still present:

1. Go to Security from the sidebar and select the Check In/Out tab.
2. This shows all children who have been marked Present or Late today but have not yet been checked out.
3. Use this list at closing time to ensure no child is left without a collector.

Common mistakes

• Skipping the verification step when the gate is busy and just clicking through, the check-out record is a safeguarding document. It must reflect a genuine verification.
• Recording the wrong collector because two siblings are being collected and the collector was only verified for one child, check out each child individually.
• Not using the check-out feature at all and relying on class teachers to know who left, without a check-out record, you cannot prove who collected the child if a concern arises later.