Boarding houses
A boarding house is not an office building. It is somebody's home.
We hold boarding houses to a higher standard than the rest of the school, because that is what they are. Different staff, different training, and an inspection built around what a Director of Boarding actually looks at.
Day one of term
Parents paying significant fees walk in and look around.
On the first day of term a parent hands over their child and then, for a few minutes, looks at the room. What they see in those minutes shapes how they feel about the school for the rest of the year.
Boarding directors know exactly what gives a house away. So do we, because we clean boarding houses at four Perth schools and we look for the same things they do.
- Splash marks on the back of a shower cubicle door
- Mould appearing on shower ceilings through Terms 2 and 3
- Blu-tack left on hallway walls after term ends
- Charging cables left on beds
Why we staff boarding differently
The evening classroom team is not the right team for a boarding house.
Recruited internally, for maturity
Boarding cleaners are chosen from our existing team rather than hired off the street. Many come from executive housekeeping backgrounds at hotels such as The Crown and the Como. They are stable, they are mature, and the faces do not change from one week to the next.
Trained on a residential standard
Training runs through pictorial task sheets, an LMS module, an in-person practical with a supervisor, and ongoing toolbox sessions. They are also trained to identify hazards, notice contraband, and give tidiness feedback to boarding staff.
Working alongside your boarding team
Our cleaners liaise daily with House Mothers, so small issues are handled in conversation rather than escalated. Strictly no access to the house before or after school hours.
Inspected before students return
A boarding-specific structured inspection at the end of every holiday period, checking the details a Director of Boarding will notice on day one. Deep cleans also follow any gastro or COVID outbreak.
Worth asking any contractor
“What is different about how you clean a boarding house versus a classroom? What do you do at the end of each holiday period?”
It is a fair question to put to anyone tendering, including us. If the answer is that nothing much changes, that tells you how the house will look when the students come back.
Get in touch
Talk to us about your boarding house.
We work with Directors of Boarding at four Perth schools. We know what they look for.