Aibu school email

[Slimemonster]

Aibu to suggest that starting an email to the headteacher of a prospective primary school with 'Hiya first name' is not the best choice of words? 😳😳
What is the best option I can suggest?

Dear Mr/Ms

It's formal, after all

Tbh I think Hiya (or more likely in England Hi First name) first name is fine, but I hate all formality / etiquette stuff - as long as someone is not offensive, and gets to the point. Dear Ms/Mr Surname also fine of course.

Who are you suggesting it to?

Dear Mrs Surname
Is how I would open an email to a headteacher

As it's a prospective school, you'd have had very little dealings with this person, right? So I would go with Dear Mr/Mrs. If in doubt, going more formal is the safer option.

@lawofdistraction

Who are you suggesting it to?

Dear Mrs Surname
Is how I would open an email to a headteacher

To my friend. Hiya first name is how they have emailed 3 schools so far 😬😬😬 cringe!

Good Morning Mrs Smith,
Could I ask your policy on....

@RicStar

Tbh I think Hiya (or more likely in England Hi First name) first name is fine, but I hate all formality / etiquette stuff - as long as someone is not offensive, and gets to the point. Dear Ms/Mr Surname also fine of course.

She's literally sent 3 emails already with hiya (not hi) first name, 😬

God it's not that big a deal & worthy of a thread & 😬

Yes 'Dear Mr / Ms Surname' is best but no principal is going to excessively worry.

It’s a bit familiar, but ultimately it’s harmless. I assume we’re talking state schools, so not like heads have any sway over admissions?

My son spent 7 years at his primary school and it was always Dear Mrs X, until the final email we sent to thank them using their first name for being so great to our son.

Why would you assume any one was a mrs? Unless they sign themselves off like that. Ms is far safer

I would just say Good morning/good afternoon and no name.

A formal letter needs to be written properly.
Dear Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms Smith,
(Whichever is their preferred title) .
If you are unsure and are sending an email then
Good Morning/Afternoon. Would suffice.
However if a letter, you could begin with
To whom it may concern, Dear Sir or Madam.
For the love of God Do not put put
Hiya Jilly.
They are not your friend, they are the prospective head teacher of your childs future school.
Rightly or wrongly If I was the head I would assume that if the parent is unable or unwilling to address me properly with a respect then their child would be unlikely to have any manners too. I would therefore be unlikely to accept them into my school.

Rightly or wrongly If I was the head I would assume that if the parent is unable or unwilling to address me properly with a respect then their child would be unlikely to have any manners too. I would therefore be unlikely to accept them into my school.

If it’s a state school, it’s not up to the head.

If you're addressing a stranger, you don't know that they even go by their first name. They might really dislike it. Ms Katherine Louise Smith might always be known as Kate or Louise or Lucy or something else entirely, and someone saying Hiya Katherine would just emphasise the fact that they don't know you.

I would look on the school website to try to find a document referencing their title (to determine whether it's Miss, Ms or Mrs). I would then start with 'Dear Mrs X'. I would sign myself off as 'Sally Smith'. For future emails, I would judge from the reply. If the Head replies 'Dear Sally' and signs herself off 'Samantha Jones' then I would use 'Dear Samantha' in future emails. If she replies 'Dear Mrs Smith', then I would stick with 'Dear Mrs Jones' for the time being. Let her lead the tone.

NB a state school head won't have any sway over admissions, but you still want to start off on the right foot.