Cleaning

Policy

This policy sets out schools’ responsibilities for managing cleaners and cleaning contracts in order to keep their school environment clean.

Summary

• Principals are ultimately responsible for ensuring their school is cleaned to the appropriate standard.
• Metropolitan Melbourne school (‘metropolitan school’) principals are required to work collaboratively with their school cleaning service provider to complete and agree upon a cleaning services plan for their school campuses.
• Regional school councils are responsible for entering into School Council Agreement for the Provision of Cleaning Services (cleaning contract) with a cleaning service provider.
• Regional schools unable to source a cleaning service provider can apply for an exemption to employ an Education Support Officer to clean the school.
• Regional school principals are responsible for managing the performance of their cleaning service provider against their cleaning contract and for updating their contract details on the Asset Information Management System (AIMS).

Details

It is essential that all government schools receive consistent, high-quality cleaning and that cleaning staff receive their legal wages and entitlements.

Cleaning arrangements are different for metropolitan and regional schools. However, all principals are ultimately responsible for ensuring the school environment is cleaned to the appropriate standard.

Principals can contact the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) School Cleaning Unit on 1300 842 754 or email cleaning@education.vic.gov.au for advice and support.

Metropolitan schools

Metropolitan Melbourne school principals are required to work collaboratively with their school cleaning service provider to complete and agree upon a cleaning services plan for their school campuses. For more information about cleaning arrangements at metropolitan schools (including cleaning services plans and cleaning service providers for each region), refer to the Metropolitan schools user guide for cleaning services (DOCX) and the information included in the Resources tab.

Each school is required to communicate minor cleaning requests or issues with their service provider’s local cleaning team and/or the service provider’s area supervisor/manager. If the request or issue is more significant, schools are encouraged to formalise this via the cleaning service provider’s helpdesk.

Funding for metropolitan schools

For metropolitan schools, the department manages the cost of cleaning the school’s entitled and cleanable spaces. The cleaning allocation does not include provision for the cost of school consumables such as toilet paper, paper towels, soap, disinfectant blocks, hand sanitiser, or bin liners.

The metropolitan area based cleaning model excludes the provision of cleaning services for school owned assets and the use of school facilities that are outside the normal school hours (such as external hirer, fetes, sports events, and out of hours use). Schools are required to organise these additional cleaning services with their cleaning service provider directly. For more information, refer to Contract cleaning (Reference 28 of the Student Resource Package guidance).

Regional schools

DETclean is no longer in use and has been superseded by the new Asset Information Management System (AIMS), which allows schools and the department to manage school assets in one portal.

All information from DETClean has transferred across to AIMS.

Regional school councils are responsible for entering into a cleaning contract with a cleaning service provider. As part of the contractual process, schools must confirm the service providers’ compliance documents, including public liability insurance for at least $10 million, Working with Children Checks for all key staff and labour hire license information. The school cleaning contract defines the cleaners’ responsibilities and duties.

Schools are no longer required to have a panel-approved cleaning company when engaging a new cleaning service provider. Schools can now search in AIMS for existing cleaning service providers in their local government area. Schools must upload any new cleaning contract to AIMS.

Regional school principals are responsible for managing the performance of their cleaning service provider against their school cleaning contract. Schools are encouraged to review and update their cleaning contract details as required. The VSBA encourages principals to speak with their cleaning service provider if they encounter any cleaning issues in the first instance. Principals may contact the School Cleaning Unit for advice and support if the issue continues.

Regional schools can access additional guidance about establishing school council agreements and reporting requirements in the Guide to contract cleaning (DOCX). All the supporting documents required to engage and manage a cleaning service provider are available in the Resources tab.

Regional schools that are unable to source a cleaning service provider and would like to employ a cleaner directly, must submit an application for exemption by email to cleaning@education.vic.gov.au

Regional schools that employ their individual cleaners directly (not a business) must adhere to the department’s human resources policies, which include recruitment requirements and employee entitlements. Refer to HRWeb for schools for more information.

Funding for regional schools

School funding for contract cleaning is included in the Student Resource Package (SRP) based on normal and low-use areas as determined by cleanable spaces identified in each school’s Cleanable Area Report. For more information, refer to Contract cleaning (Reference 28 of the SRP guide) or email studentresourcepackage@education.vic.gov.au

Cleaning area entitlement

The cleaning area entitlement (normal use) for both primary and secondary schools is allocated in square metres according to enrolment bands of 25 students.

For more information, refer to Contract cleaning (Reference 28 of the SRP guide).

Building area changes

Building area changes (for example, whether the changed areas are part of the school’s area entitlement and whether they involve designated cleanable areas) can impact the amount of funding a school receives for cleaning. For more information, refer to Contract cleaning (Reference 28 of the SRP guide).

Asset Information Management System (AIMS)

The Asset Information Management System (AIMS) is a web-based, centralised portal that has replaced schools' existing asset information management systems.

Relevant legislation

• Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic)
• Labour Hire Licensing Act 2018 (Vic)
• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic)
• Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic)

Guidance

There is no further guidance for this topic. For more information, refer to Resources tab.

Resources

Cleaning metropolitan Melbourne schools

• Metropolitan school cleaning quick reference guide (DOCX) – quick reference guides for metropolitan schools
• Metropolitan schools user guide for cleaning services (DOCX) – information about cleaning arrangements at metropolitan schools (including cleaning services plans)
• Working with your school cleaning service provider (DOCX) – detailed guidance about partnering with your service provider and how to resolve issues
• Cleaning services for schools (DOCX) – information about school cleaning standards and an overview of the cleaning frequency for primary and secondary schools and, specialist schools
• Area-based cleaning model for metropolitan Melbourne – Activity calendar (DOCX) – a yearly calendar which provides a guide on how schools can work together with their service provider throughout the school year. The calendar also sets out recommended actions and required actions for schools. For an accessible version of the calendar, email cleaning@education.vic.gov.au
• For more detailed guidance on school cleaning services, the cleaning services plan, and school and cleaning provider responsibilities, refer to Frequently asked questions (DOCX)
• 2025 metropolitan Melbourne school cleaning changes information and FAQ (DOCX)

Cleaning regional schools

The Asset Information Management System (AIMS) has replaced schools' existing asset information management systems.

A School council cleaning checklist (DOCX) should be completed before going to tender. It enables schools to customise their cleaning requirements by identifying their particular needs.

The School council provision of cleaning services agreement (DOCX) is intended for use when a school purchases cleaning services. A guide to completing the school council cleaning agreement is available below. Where a school council wishes to extend its cleaning services agreement by exercising any available further terms, a template Contract extension letter (DOCX) is available.

The following supporting documents are required to engage and manage a regional school cleaning service provider.

Guidance material:

• Guide to contract cleaning (DOCX)
• Guide to completion – school council agreement – provision of cleaning services (DOCX)

Templates:

• Notice to unsuccessful respondents letter (DOCX)
• Variation agreement (DOCX)
• Variation notice (scope services suspension) (DOCX)
• Department of Education legal services extension letter template – school cleaning contracts (DOCX)
• Notice for breach of school cleaning agreement (DOCX)
• Contract termination – service failures (DOCX)
• Contract termination – without cause (DOCX)
• Expiring contract – confirmation of end of services (DOCX)
• Exemption request letter (DOCX)

Background information on the department’s cleaning policy

• School cleaning reforms – Secretary’s policy (DOCX) – includes guidance to school councils on the way school cleaning is to be delivered
• Ministerial Order No. 1127 – School Cleaning in Government Schools (DOCX)
• Ministerial Order No. 1127 – School Cleaning in Government Schools (PDF)

Information for cleaning contractors

For more information on school cleaning, please contact the School Cleaning Unit at cleaning@education.vic.gov.au or phone 1300 842 754.