Book around the actual access window
Check holiday clubs, maintenance works, IT upgrades and staff training days before setting cleaning dates. Six weeks of summer can shrink quickly once contractors are booked in.
Share keys, alarm arrangements, site contacts and safeguarding requirements well in advance so the team can start on day one.
Walk the site and set priorities
Classrooms, washrooms, dining areas, sports halls and corridors each have different needs. Identify floor treatments, carpet cleaning and upholstery work early so drying and curing time can be built into the plan.
Ask teachers and site staff for their list too; they know which corners get overlooked during term.
Sequence the work sensibly
Clean high to low and inside out: high-level dusting and windows first, then furniture, then floors last. Floor sealing should happen after any decorating or maintenance, not before.
If builders or decorators are in over the holiday, schedule an after-builders clean before the deep clean is signed off.
Plan for furniture and storage
Decide which furniture can be moved, where it can go temporarily and who will put classrooms back together. Labelled rooms and a simple floor plan help everything return to the right place.
Clearing displays and personal items before the holiday makes the work quicker and safer.
Agree a handover checklist
Record which spaces will be cleaned, what treatments are being used and who signs off the completed work. Confirm any DBS or safeguarding requirements before the team attends.
A joint walkthrough at the end gives you confidence that the school is ready for the first day of term.