Choosing a cleaning contractor for a school isn’t quite the same as choosing one for a typical office. There are extra requirements to consider, and procurement teams are right to ask more detailed questions before signing anything.
Staff vetting should be first on the list — every member of staff working on or near a school site should be DBS-checked as standard, with references available on request. It’s also worth asking how consistent the team will be. Familiar faces matter in a school environment, both for security and for building trust with staff.
Scheduling is another key point. Term-time cleaning needs to work around the school day, while deep cleans and larger jobs are usually better scheduled during holidays. A good contractor should be able to work both into a single agreement without it becoming complicated.
Finally, ask about the service level agreement itself — what standards are guaranteed, how response times are handled, and what happens if something falls short. A clear SLA protects both sides and makes expectations easy to manage.
Our public sector cleaning service is built around exactly these requirements. You can read more about why staff vetting matters in our piece on DBS-checked staff, or read about our wider approach in cleaning standards in schools and public buildings.
If you’re putting together a tender or reviewing your current contract, get in touch — we’re happy to talk through what an SLA with us would look like.
