For schools, the summer holidays are a chance to reset.

For our teams, they are one of the busiest periods of the year.

Throughout term time, our cleaners are focused on the regular day-to-day work that keeps schools clean, safe and ready for staff and pupils. Classrooms need cleaning, toilets need maintaining, communal areas need attention and the whole site needs to keep running around a very busy school day.

There are some jobs, though, that are much easier to tackle properly when the building is empty.

That is where the school summer periodic comes in.

Going beyond the everyday clean

A summer periodic is not simply a bigger version of the usual daily clean.

With classrooms, corridors, halls and other spaces out of use, our teams have the time and access to carry out deeper and more intensive work across the site.

Depending on the school and what is required, this can include:

It gives us the opportunity to work through the building methodically and give areas the extra attention they need before pupils and staff return.

A team effort behind the scenes

One of our recent school summer periodics is a good example of just how much goes into the process.

Lucas has been working on the toilets and polishing, while Neo has been taking care of the hoovering.

Kevin has tackled the internal windows, Sebastian has been working through the high-level dusting and de-cobwebbing, and Callum and Louis have been carrying out the carpet cleaning.

Sam has also been giving the kitchen equipment a thorough clean, while Anthony has been applying the second coat of polish to the school hall floor.

Each person has their own part to play, but everything comes together with the same goal: getting the school ready for the start of a new term.

Why school holidays matter

Some cleaning jobs simply are not practical when hundreds of pupils and staff are moving around a building every day.

Floor treatments need time to dry properly. Carpet cleaning can take whole areas out of use. High-level work may require equipment that cannot safely be used in a busy corridor, and detailed cleaning is much easier when rooms can be emptied and worked through properly.

The holidays give our teams the space to do those jobs thoroughly rather than trying to work around a live school environment.

It also means schools can begin the new term with those bigger maintenance cleaning jobs already taken care of.

Preparing schools for September

There is a lot of work happening behind the scenes before a school opens its doors again.

While classrooms are quiet and pupils are enjoying their summer break, our teams are working across multiple sites completing the deeper cleaning programmes that help prepare each building for September.

It takes planning, coordination and a huge amount of effort from the people on site.

We are incredibly proud of the teams putting that work in throughout the summer and making sure every detail gets the attention it deserves.

If your school needs support with regular contract cleaning, holiday periodics or a combination of both, get in touch; we’re happy to talk through what your site needs.