Help with a letter please :-) :-)

[Curly Quavers]

I have been given notice from one of my families they are going to live abroad for 2 years so I really need to pull out all the stops for advertising.

Because I only work term time I am planning on sending out a letter to ALL the Local Schools asking for them to put my card up in the staff room. I have done it already with the very local schools so I am going further afield just in case I can get some work.

I was wondering if you guys could have a read at the below and add or correct me where necessary. I feel so self conscious about writing to a school in case my spelling and punctuation are not correct

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is xxxxxx xxxxxx and I contact you today in the hope I may be able to put one of my small notices up on your staff information board.

I am a registered childminder in xxxxxxxxx offering term time only childcare. Because the service I provide is only available term time I do not charge any retainer fees for the 12 weeks of school holidays. So my service is ideally suited to parents who perhaps work in and round schools.

I look forward to hearing form you.


Yours Sincerely

[Curly Quavers]

18 views and nobody want to help? :-(

[sarah707]

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is xxxxxx xxxxxx and I am contactingyou today in the hope I may be able to put one of my small notices postcards if they are small might give a better indication of size... or A5 notices...? up on your staff information board.

I am a registered childminder in xxxxxxxxx offering term time only childcare. Because the service I provide is only available term time I do not charge any retainer fees for the 12 weeks of school holidays. This means thatmy service is ideally suited to parents who perhaps work in and aroundschools.

I look forward to hearing fromyou


Yours Sincerely

That reads fine. My only thought is that if they say 'no' you haven't given yourself a fall back.

Would it be worth adding something along the lines of... if I can't put up my notice then are there other ways we can work together to meet the needs of local parents...?

Also can you add your grade or something good about yourself at the start?

Blow your trumpet a bit

Oh and never worry about the 'looks' on the thread... it's often Google and Yahoo spiders and bots which trawl for key words

[jumpinjen]

Yeah agree with Sarah, def big up what a great term time service you offer and how it is 'ideally suited' to parents working during term time as no reatiner fees are charged through the holiday period.

rather than saying 'because the service I provide is term time only@ say something more positive about being dedicated to the needs of parents working term-time, make it sound like a good thing rather than something to apoligise about!

And yes, ask them to contact you to talk about other ways that you could meet the needs of working parents associated with the school!

Good luck, Jen x

[The Juggler]

I did this a few years back and put a HUGE heading in caps at the top

'Looking for term-time only care and DON'T want to pay any retainer fee for the school holidays?'

only a few schools put it up but also put it on ***** with same title and got lots of calls from interested teachers.

[Curly Quavers]

Thank you ladies

43 letters with postcards posted this afternoon. Cost me a fortune

Hopefully my phone will ring

[The Juggler]

fingers crossedx