Knights Stream School finds perfect cleaning team to keep up with rapid school growth
Knights Stream School is a new school in the growing suburb of Halswell in Christchurch. Since opening its doors in 2019, the school has grown to 570 students, increasing by 100 students each year. Christchurch franchise team, Glenn and Gem Cooper, have been cleaning the school for the past two years and continuously adapt their cleaning routine to keep pace with the growing number of students.
With 30 classrooms and room for further expansion, Knights Stream School is a sizable space to maintain. Principal Mike Molloy considers Glenn and Gem to be the ideal team to handle the school’s ever-changing landscape.
“The cleaning requirements have got bigger and bigger as we’ve grown, but Glenn and Gem have a well-established routine now,” says Mike.
“It’s been like a movable feast, but they do really well at keeping up. They’re very particular and they understand that kids are reasonably messy.”
Mike describes the school’s relationship with Glenn and Gem as a true partnership, where staff and students do their best to make the cleaning team’s work more efficient and effective.
“My job is to make sure teachers and kids respect their spaces and leave them tidy so Glenn and Gem can do their job more effectively,” he says.
“We don’t leave the school in a mess and expect them to do it all for us.”
Glenn and Gem stay in regular contact with Mike and the school caretaker through a WhatsApp group, allowing them to provide quick updates and share photos of things that need to be addressed.
“They let me know if they find anything unusual so I can go back to the staff and ask them to talk to the kids about respecting the school,” says Mike.
Going above and beyond is second nature for Glenn and Gem. Recently, Mike forgot to let them know about a parent-teacher interview evening. Fortunately, the franchise team were happy to adjust their cleaning schedule despite the short notice.
Their flexibility didn’t go unnoticed. Mike left a box of chocolates for the cleaning team to show his appreciation.
“I had been meaning to do something to thank them because they do a great job,”
“To be honest, I need to thank them more often. They really are part of our team.”
Mike says Glenn and Gem’s dedication to exceptional cleaning standards ensures Knights Stream School keeps that ‘new school’ look and feel for as long as possible.
“They have a lot of pride in keeping the school clean and that’s exactly what we want.”
