[Small but perfectley formed]

We have been invited to tender for schools in a south yorkshire town anyone had experience of doing schools ,pitfalls pricing etc

[Richy L]

ive cleaned schools in the past. i still do one.
The main problem i had was when cleaning inside windows. there are paintings, etc usually stuck to the windows with blutac. not hard to get off, but annoying.

Also, i guess the work will need to be done quarterly. try and do the work on a school holiday, as you dont want any kids tripping over your hose, or bucket!

.... another thing. make sure you have someone with you if you are in a room with children, just incase, for your own safety!

[simon knight]

Yes. I used to do our local primary.

Imagine the very worst house, with the very most minging windows you've ever done....now multiply it by 10 and that's the state of school windows.

Also you'll do them during school holidays only...so 3 times a year!

Price accordingly and good luck!

[NWH]

I do a couple of schools and i only do them in the holiday times,i`m well in with the burser and get paid within about 3 weeks.Never had a quibble on the price i put in,but there again i do clean 3 of the teachers houses.

[Small but perfectley formed]

This is for 109 schools all have to be cleaned 2 times per year except for a couple 1 is 6x another 3x all during term time.

[scud]

  I do a very large secondary school once a year during the summer holidays.
  The site manager tells me his budget and I do the amount of work they can afford.
   I do the outsides first, early mornings, evenings and weekends, a few hours at a time, then any hours left I do what I can on the insides, usualy leave all the hard to reach stuff and just do the main areas inside, everyones a winner!!

[NWH]

Nice one,be careful don`t put all them eggs in one basket lol.

[simon knight]

This is for 109 schools all have to be cleaned 2 times per year except for a couple 1 is 6x another 3x all during term time.

Thats 218 schools...4 a week...roughly 1 a day.

Depending on the size of the schools and whether you're doing both sides (i guess you are) it'll be a full time job for 2 people. Forget your other custies as you won't have time!!! If they pulled the contract after a year or so because of a lower tender you'd be f##ked!!!

[frames to panes]

I do a reasonably large school and really enjoy it. School holidays, on your own, music on bags of room, no dog poo, nothing to snag your hose. Same with the insides, music on nice and loud loverly.

[Richy L]

My father was asked to quote for a load of school a few years ago. It took him about a week to price it all and he went in with quite low prices. He sent the quotes off, and he had a letter thanking him for the quote, but someone else got it.
Remeberm, you'll be quoting against bigger firms paying there workers not a lot more than min wage. Be careful you dont end up wasting your time.

[stuart@skypole]

I know you are probably sorted but the insurances etc need to be spot on,

and remember they are government run so costings are normally tight.

if you need to subcontract in w/cleaners make sure they allow it

rgds, stuart

[wightsurf]

I clean two schools, They do have to be cleaned in the holidays but apart from that they are ok they pay well and on time . Gum on the high school is the main prob, they seem to stick it every where. Insurance has to be 5 mil .

[trevor perry]

we used to clean over 100 schools in manchester but the prices got so ridiculously low we stopped tendering , when we checked some of the work that was supposed to have been done it was a joke as the firms was missing loads of windows and doing a bad job.
  if you do get the work we found the best way to organise it was to arrive early say about 6.30 am and get through as many insides as possible before classes start and no one is  in the way , at 9 am we would usually have our brew and then start on outsides again avoiding being in peoples way, again at dinner you can finish the insides, you will find some of the teachers like to treat you like children and talk down to you a bit but just bite your tongue and dont let them wind you up.
   we once cleaned a catholic school and went to get our completion ticket signed by the headmaster who was a priest when we went in his office he made us stand against the wall he then said i am very busy and dont have time to check so could you tell me you have cleaned all the windows we said yes he said are you sure again we said yes but felt we where being tret like kids finally he said do you swear and before i could answer my mate said all the f---ck--g time he looked shook his head and then signed our ticket when we left the room we could hear him laughing his head of.

[MJH]

Hi jason

I do a couple of schools in west yorkshire, its good work, i haven't heard of leeds council doing big tenders like that but my mate did do the tender for south yorks housing and it sounded a nightmare!!! but if you get it a good rate you are set!

Matt