An education in clean classrooms

According to a recent study• by The Cleaning Company which asked teachers about the impact of their working environment on students, clean classrooms, hallways and communal spaces can hugely contribute to a young person’s attendance, mental wellbeing, health and overall performance while at school.

It’s a well-known fact that infections spread in schools, in fact many parents affectionately refer to their child’s school as a ‘germ factory’. Research has found that children younger than six can catch up to eight colds per year. A capable cleaning contractor ensures clean classrooms and a meticulous cleanliness routine helps stop these viruses spreading, therefore minimising sickness and improving attendance.

However, a clean school impacts more than just physical well-being.

Emphasis on emotional wellbeing

According to The Cleaning Company’s survey, 83% of teachers say there is a noticeable change in pupil behaviour when the classroom is clean. 

Mental health charity YoungMinds adds that there is an identified correlation between emotional wellbeing at school and academic achievement and success in later life. With two in five teachers knowing of primary school children showing signs of mental health issues such as anxiety, panic attacks and even depression, creating a safe, calm and ordered sanctuary for young people to learn in can make a real difference to their performance and well-being. 

Discussing the importance of the physical school environment for young people's mental wellbeing, Richard Colwill, spokesman for the mental health charity SANE, said: “Children’s mental health is something that we should all be concerned about. Creating and maintaining clean and safe environments for our children is an expression of that concern.

“It demonstrates how we care for their health and development, and its importance should not be underrated.”

Furthermore, 90% of teachers claimed that they feel a difference in their own mental health when their workplace is clean. Over the last few years, demands on teachers have increased and the Guardian teacher network has reported increased instances of poor mental health and low morale within their network. The Guardian continued that 93% of teachers agreed that their stress levels sometimes impact the way they interact with their pupils.  

Teachers are doing what they can to promote a healthy working environment not just for their students, but for themselves too. The Cleaning Company’s report shows that 50% of teachers surveyed have stayed late, outside of their contracted hours, purely to ensure that their classroom is clean. 

Pupil performance 

A clean classroom not only improves sickness absence rates and emotional wellbeing: over 80% of teachers reported that a clean and tidy working environment hugely impacts pupil performance. The Cleaning Company spoke to some teachers about their more personal experience of cleaning within schools. One teacher said “a school is not just about academics; it shapes the character and habits of its pupils. Dirty and ill-maintained classrooms teach students poor health habits which they are likely to take into future life”, while another commented, “By having a clean and organised classroom to start with, it gives children a standard and allows them to take ownership to keep their own space clean and tidy rather than letting others clean for them. There are huge differences in children’s attitudes when a space is clean and keeping it that way or asking a child to clean up their mess in an already untidy area”.

A clean working environment within a school reduces absenteeism, improves student behaviour and contributes to an emotionally safe space for teachers and pupils. It is clear to see that cleanliness should be a focus for every school but with only 8% of teachers surveyed reporting their school as ‘very clean’ it is also apparent that there are still big steps to take.

• The study comprised a focus group of 20 primary school teachers from the south of England, from a variety of state/academy and private schools.