Stories of Pride, Purpose, and the People Keeping Our Schools Safe and Operational

Every day, thousands of OCS cleaners work quietly behind the scenes, keeping schools, hospitals, workplaces, and public spaces safe, clean, and welcoming.

For Thank Your Cleaner Day, we’re shining a light on two of those people: Sue and Nicky, cleaning supervisors who lead with care, pride, and an unshakeable sense of purpose.

Their stories show that cleaning goes beyond being a task; it’s a craft, a calling, and a cornerstone of community life.

Sue – From Cleaner to Supervisor: A Second Home in Westbury

For Sue (featured above), cleaning is both a job – and a community.

At 68, Sue has spent the past eight years at a large school in Westbury, where she started as a cleaner and worked her way up to supervisor. With a team of twelve (often fewer due to shortages), she leads by example, rolling up her sleeves and stepping in wherever needed to keep the site spotless and running smoothly.

Managing cleaning at a busy school is no small task. From making sure equipment and materials are stocked to training new team members, Sue juggles countless moving parts, often while covering extra areas herself. Yet, even with the challenges, she says she wouldn’t trade her team or her workplace for anything.

“It’s like a second home,” she smiles. “You know all the teachers, the office teams, it’s a friendly place. Every job has its ups and downs, but I do enjoy it.”

Sue’s pride shows most clearly during deep cleans. At the end of the term, she coordinates a full-scale refresh of the school, allocating teams to every area and ensuring every surface shines. It’s physically demanding work, but seeing the results makes it worthwhile – even if the pristine shine lasts only until Monday morning when the students return.

“They don’t know how to use the handles,” she laughs. “But it’s a school. It’s life.”

Sue is quick to praise her team for their hard work, offering daily thanks and even homemade cakes as tokens of appreciation.

“When I see that someone’s done a really good clean, I tell them. I thank them every day. It means a lot.”

For Sue, Thank Your Cleaner Day is about recognising that effort, and the pride behind every mop and bucket.

“It means a lot to be thanked,” she says. “Even just a kind word makes a difference.”

Nicky – Leading with Heart at a Broadstone School

From chef to cleaner, Nicky found a new kind of satisfaction in keeping things spotless.

When Nicky left her job as a head chef after 14 years, she wasn’t sure what would come next. A job advert for a janitor at a school in Broadstone caught her eye, and during the interview, she was offered something more: a supervisor role leading a small cleaning team.

That was nearly a year ago, and Nicky hasn’t looked back since.

“It’s hard work, you ache from top to toe some days, but it’s rewarding,” she says. “I’ve got a fantastic team, and the staff at the school really appreciate us.”

At a school of over 1,400 students, keeping classrooms, corridors, and shared spaces clean is no small feat. Each evening, Nicky and her four main cleaners tackle their areas with care and precision. She ensures everyone has the right supplies, checks in with the team, and pitches in herself.

The pace can be intense, especially during events or last-minute changes. Recently, she recalls being told that twelve extra rooms needed cleaning just an hour before parents arrived for a meeting.

“We were running around like headless chickens,” Nicky laughs. “But when the deputy head walked around and said, ‘Thanks so much for making the school look lovely,’ I felt so proud of the team.”

Before joining OCS, Nicky spent years in kitchens, managing allergies, nutrition requirements, and high-pressure environments. Cleaning, she says, offers a different kind of challenge, but one that’s just as important.

That respect, Nicky believes, starts with small gestures, putting litter in the bin, noticing the effort behind a tidy corridor, or simply saying thank you.

And recently, Nicky’s team received special recognition from the school itself.

“The school manager spoke to me and said he’d done a survey with all the staff about cleaning,” she says. “They said the school looks much better since OCS took over, and that the cleaning team seem much happier. Which is nice!”

For Thank Your Cleaner Day, Nicky plans to celebrate her team the way she always does — with heartfelt thanks (and a box of chocolates).

“It’s nice to feel appreciated,” she says. “Even a small thank you means a lot.”

The Heart of a Clean Space

Sue and Nicky’s stories capture what Thank Your Cleaner Day is really about: recognising the people who take pride in making spaces safe, comfortable, and ready for learning, care, and connection.

Behind every polished floor, every gleaming desk, and every tidy corridor, there’s a person, or a team, who made it that way. And OCS is proud to celebrate them not just today, but every day.

To all our cleaners: thank you. You make the everyday extraordinary.