Dozens of children were awarded certificates from the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) after a visit to St Andrew’s Primary School in Northampton.
The BICSc team were invited to the school to give talks to pupils of all ages about the science behind cleaning. This was as part of Science Week to talk to pupils about how science plays a key part in the role of cleaning operatives, and the vital work they do.
Kelsey Hargreaves, Technical Specialist at BICSc, was joined by Business Development Manager Samantha Willson to host talks to pupils aged four to 10 years old. The dynamic duo tailored talks to the different age groups and created fun and exciting interactive tasks to help the children learn more about cleaning science and the industry.
Kelsey, who is also an ambassador for Kettering-based Youth Employment UK, is an ardent advocate of encouraging young people to consider careers within the professional cleaning community.
Kelsey said: “It was a fantastic day and we enjoyed working with the pupils of all ages. The school had invited us to talk to the children to help them learn about how science is involved in the professional cleaning industry.
“We did interactive sessions with the younger and older pupils including a hand hygiene course with 45 four and five-year-olds, which was great fun. When it came to the older pupils, we staged sessions as an introduction to cleaning science. We focused on handwashing with the younger children using a light box, so they could see the germs on their hands, which helped to create an interactive element and they loved it.
“With the older pupils, we talked about the spreading of contamination, about cleaning effectively and the opportunities within the wider industry. They were fascinated to learn that there is a lot of science behind cleaning and how it helps to keep people safe.”
Following the visit, St Andrew’s Primary School teacher Ben Harvey commented: “Thank you so much, the teachers really thought the session went well and the kids really enjoyed themselves.”
All participating pupils were awarded with their own BICSc-branded, specially created certificates covering an Introduction to Hand Hygiene and an Introduction to Cleaning Science.
Following the successful school visit, BICSc is hoping to host further education outreach sessions to help raise awareness about the cleaning industry. Northampton-based BICSc is the largest independent, professional and educational body within the cleaning industry, with over 57,000 individual and corporate members worldwide.
