School leaders are under increasing pressure to do more with less. Rising operational costs, stretched budgets and growing expectations around standards mean every area of expenditure is under scrutiny. Yet one significant cost often escapes detailed review: cleaning.
For many schools, cleaning arrangements have evolved over time rather than being strategically designed. Staffing levels may reflect historical decisions, legacy contracts or operational habits that have never been revisited. While this can feel like the easiest way to maintain continuity, it can also mean schools are unknowingly paying for more cleaning than they need – or, just as concerning, expecting too much from under-resourced teams.
That’s why we’ve launched our free Cleaning Productivity Assessment Calculator, giving independent schools, state schools and Multi-Academy Trusts a simple way to assess whether their cleaning provision is delivering genuine value for money.
Why benchmarking matters
Benchmarking allows schools to take an objective view of their cleaning operation. Rather than relying on assumptions or historic arrangements, it provides insight into whether cleaning resources align with the size and needs of the estate.
Without a thorough benchmark, schools risk under or over resourcing cleaning teams, inconsistent cleaning standards across buildings, departments or sites and limited visibility for senior leaders over whether cleaning services represent best value.
The challenge is that these issues are often hidden. Cleaning teams work hard to maintain standards, and operational leaders are focused on countless competing priorities. As a result, inefficiencies can remain undetected for years.
Recent assessments have identified between 400 and 800 excess cleaning hours per week within client organisations, demonstrating the scale of opportunity that can exist when cleaning provision is properly reviewed.
A simple way to assess your cleaning provision
The Cleaning Productivity Assessment Calculator has been designed to provide a quick and practical starting point.
Schools simply enter an estimate of their total floor area in square metres and the number of cleaning hours they pay for each week. Within seconds, the calculator provides an indication of whether the school’s cleaning operation may be over-resourced or under-resourced.
Importantly, the aim is not simply to reduce costs or cut hours.
Effective benchmarking helps ensure cleaning is appropriately resourced, standards remain high and budgets are being used efficiently. The goal is to achieve the right balance between service quality and value for money.
Getting your cleaning operation right
While the calculator provides a valuable starting point, many schools and Trusts choose to go further by working with us to undertake a detailed review of their cleaning operation.
Our consultants help schools understand:
- Whether staffing levels are appropriate.
- If cleaning contracts are delivering contracted services.
- How performance compares against sector benchmarks.
- Opportunities to improve efficiency without compromising standards.
- Whether procurement and contract arrangements remain fit-for-purpose.
Working with The Lighthouse Schools Partnership
We’ve worked with The Lighthouse Schools Partnership for a number of years. As the Trust expanded rapidly, managing multiple cleaning providers became increasingly challenging. Performance issues with two cleaning contractors created inconsistency across the estate and made effective oversight difficult.
We worked with the Trust to consolidate cleaning services under a single provider, creating greater consistency and accountability. At the end of the contract term, we then managed a competitive tender process, resulting in all schools being placed with one high-performing cleaning provider.
Today, we continue to monitor both the cleaning and catering contracts on behalf of the Trust. This level of oversight ensures contracted hours are delivered and any under-delivery is identified and credited back. During the Covid period alone, this process uncovered approximately £100,000 of undelivered contracted hours that were returned to the Trust.
We’re also reviewing operational changes that could generate further savings in the region of £250,000 while maintaining service quality.
Insights that lead to significant savings
From independent schools to large Multi-Academy Trusts, we help education leaders make informed decisions about their cleaning provision. Start with our free calculator and discover what greater visibility could mean for your organisation. For state schools and Trusts click here and for independent schools click here.
The Litmus team
