It is all change for students at Greenhead High School in Keighley with the introduction this week of a new "cashless system".

All students at the school are being issued with swipe-cards that will do away with the need for students to carry around cash.

Instead, pupils will use their new cards to buy lunch from the school's food service areas and even take out books from the school library.

Senior teacher Marilyn Boyd says: "We hope the new system will create a faster, more efficient service and it is important because it should, in theory, create a moneyless school.

"All of the students are having a tutorial on how to access the system so they become accustomed to the new system.

"At the moment students still have to put cash into vending machines, but we hope to change that to the card system once it is up and running.

"If students lose the card it will cost £5 to replace, so we are aware that the safety of the cards is paramount.

"With this in mind we are trying to get some holders so pupils can hang them around their necks."

Each pupil has a swipe-card with a photo of themselves and their own ID number.

The cards can be credited with a maximum of £20 by installing cash at machines located around the school.

Students can also present cheques payable to Bradford council at the dining area before registration, again limited to £20, that will be immediately credited to the card.

Pupils entitled to free school meals will receive a card that is automatically credited each day with their daily allowance.

This must be spent over the lunchtime period, with students able to add cash to the card to buy extra items at lunch or break.

The school is also operating a new "Grab a Bag" service for Muslim pupils during Ramadan.

The lunch packs will be available to students entitled to free meals who are fasting during the day.