Improve attendance by introducing school laundry services!
Discover how school laundry services increase both attendance and attainment, and what equipment you’ll need to get up and running.
We’ve had a hunch that school laundry services improve attendance for a while now.
But, a former school principal set out to prove it once and for all. And, the results are in!
Today, we’ll take a look at this new study, why school laundry services improve attendance and what equipment you’ll need to get started.
What the clever clogs say
Some super-smart folks from the US have gone to great lengths to find out how school laundry services affect attendance.
Dr Melody Gunn, former principal of Gibson Elementary School, helped enrol her former school in the ‘Care Counts’ scheme and install a brand-new washing machine.
One year on and the results are in:
- 93% of students who were selected to use the school laundry services improved their overall attendance
- 95% were more motivated in class, more likely to socialise with classmates and participate during lessons
- With these kids attending more regularly, a massive 89% eventually began achieving higher marks in their assessments
So, not only do school laundry services ramp up attendance, they’ll make your school a more social space and improve those test scores, too!
Why do school laundry services improve student attendance?
Shockingly, almost one in five kids don’t have access to clean clothing from home (HuffPo).
When kids don’t have clean clothes to wear to school, they might start to feel embarrassed and – ultimately – like an outsider.
Not only will they see the difference themselves, they’ll worry about their classmates noticing, too. Differences such as this can lead to nasty comments, bullying and other negative behaviours.
It can be tough for kids to open up about this because of social stigma, or because they’re worried about getting their parents into trouble.
That leaves them with three options:
- Attend, wear dirty clothes and risk bullying
- Attend, but go against the school’s uniform policy by wearing other clothes
- Stay off school
Sadly, with the fear of bullying and potentially other issues at home, many choose the last option.
Why do parents sometimes struggle with laundry?
There are all sorts of reasons why parents might struggle with this, but it often comes down to money.
Purchasing a washing machine outright and maintaining it over time is costly, as is filling it with detergent/fabric softener and paying those utility bills.
Sometimes, a lack of clean laundry might indicate that something else is going on behind the scenes, such as a mental health or substance issue.
What school laundry equipment will my school need?
You’ll need two essentials to set up a school laundry service; a washing machine and a tumble dryer. You might also need a few little extras later, but these two items should get you up and running.
We’ve prepared a handy guide to help you pick out the laundry equipment and purchase arrangements that will work best for your school. For now, just focus on three key aspects – your equipment should be robust, reliable and high-capacity.
Increase attendance and keep a lid on bullying at the same time with new laundry equipment for schools.
Give your students everything they need to succeed with a little help from the expert Utility Rentals team!
Tags
Similar Articles
Selecting the perfect laundry equipment for schools
Find out how to select the right laundry equipment for schools (including washing machines and tumble dryers) with a little help from Utility Rentals.
