Writing Style Guide
This guide is intended to give more consistency to all ASCL publications including external and
internal documents, so that variations in punctuation and style do not distract readers, especially
when we are compiling documents like reports from different authors. And of course, authors
who follow a consistent style make it easier on those who are editing and proofreading.
Consistency in the way that we communicate between ourselves and with our members is
fundamental to establishing ASCL’s credibility as a professional organisation and this guide
contains detailed advice on applying ASCL’s style when creating and producing literature and
other marketing materials. By implementing the guide, we can make our members feel even
more confident in the professional services we provide.
If you come across an editorial conundrum that is not answered here, please let the
Communications Directorate know (email [email protected] ) and they will include it.
When in doubt, ASCL spelling and hyphenation rules will follow the English Oxford Dictionary.
Top ten style rules
It is important that everyone follows all of the points within this style guide; however, here are
the top ten most important things you must remember to do when producing any ASCL
document:
1. Text: All text needs to be in black – apart from web links that can remain in blue – in an
Arial font with a font size of 14 for the main title, 12 for subheadings and 11 for other text. All
text should be left aligned as should the ASCL Logo.
2. Acronyms: As a general rule, the first time that an acronym is used, it should be written out
in full with the acronym in brackets and the acronym used alone in subsequent references.
However, there are some that are so common within education such as, DfE, Ofsted, ASCL,
that they do not need to be spelled out. Use your judgement but please do not assume your
audience knows too much.
3. Numbering: Write out full numbers from zero to ten and numbers used figuratively. Use
digits for numbers from 11 and above, for percentages and for sums of money: It costs £2. Only
5 per cent thought it was a good idea. If a number starts a sentence, write it out. Even better,
though, turn the sentence around: Eleven pupils were excluded. The school excluded 11 pupils.
Use commas with numbers 1,000 and above.
4. Capitalisation: Capitals should only be used for proper nouns and names. Always use
lower case for references to a proper noun: The general secretary will lead the session. Our
association has more than 12,000 members. The strategy addresses literacy in primary schools.
Job titles should be in title case whether they come before or after a name: Brian Lightman,
ASCL General Secretary or ASCL General Secretary, Brian Lightman. Where a job title is
mentioned in text without naming someone, it should remain in lowercase: the general secretary
was in a meeting.
September 2013
The main title of any document including guidance papers should be in title case, as should the
name of an event.
5. Key stages/year groups: Use upper case with a numeral for key stages and year groups:
Key Stage 2 or KS2 and Year 1, Year 2.
6. Ampersands: Do not use ampersands (&) in text. Write ‘and’ instead. The exception is
company names where it is their preferred style: Marks & Spencer. They are fine as well in
bibliographies.
7. Dates: In text write out months and put the date before the month: 3 May 2005
Do not write as 3rd May or 13th May use number only so 3 May or 13 May
If something is happening this year, it is not necessary to include the year with the date, unless
omitting it is confusing.
For centuries: 21st century
Apostrophes are not needed in decades: the 1990s or the nineties
Use an en dash (not hyphen) when you mean ‘to’ in a date: 1990–99, March–April
8.
A level: A level not A Level or A-Level
9.
Age: He was an 11 year-old. He was 11 years old.
10. Etc/eg/ie: Do not use a full stop after etc and if possible, avoid using and use – „including‟
or ‘for example‟ as alternatives. Same for eg - No full stops. Avoid using if possible and use ‘for
example‟ as an alternative. Also ie no full stops. Avoid using if possible; use ‘that is’ or „in other
words‟ as alternatives.
Full style guide
Below is a comprehensive list of rules on ASCL’s writing style:
A level
Not A-level or A Level
a or an before h?
Use ‘an’ when the h is silent: an hour, an honest man; but a hero, a hotel, a historian
abbreviations
Don’t use full stops in abbreviations, or spaces between initials: BBC, US, eg, 4am, WH Smith
accents
Use on French, German and Spanish words (if your word processing software allows) but not
on anglicised French words: cafe
acronyms
As a general rule, the first time that an acronym is used, it should be written out in full with the
acronym in brackets and the acronym used alone in subsequent references. However, there are
some that are so common within education, DfE, Ofsted, NAHT, ASCL, that they don’t need to
be spelled out. Use your judgement but please don’t assume your audience knows too much.
ad hoc
Advanced Skills Teachers (ASTs)
Upper case
September 2013
adviser
Not advisor
African-Caribbean
Not Afro-Caribbean
age
He was an 11 year-old. He was 11 years old.
alignment
All text should be left aligned
ampersands &
Don’t use them in text. Write ‘and’ instead. The exception is company names where it is their
preferred style: Marks & Spencer. They’re fine as well in bibliographies. See bibliographies
any more
Two words
apostrophes
For singular words and names that end in ‘s’: boss's, Professor Jones's
For plural nouns that end in s: bosses', Joneses‟
If you’re unsure, let the spoken pronunciation guide you.
There’s always an exception: United States, the United Nations, the Philippines etc, have a
plural possessive apostrophe: United States'.
Use an apostrophe for the meaning 'worth of': He has six years' experience.
Do not put apostrophes into decades: the 1990s or the nineties
association
Lower case, even when referring to ASCL.
bibliographies
Published works should be in one alphabetical list. Multi-author works should have the list at the
end of each author's piece. ASCL’s preferred style for references and bibliographies is:
Jones, GH, 1995, Leading the World in Education, 3rd ed, Oxford, Oxford University Press
(book)
Smith, E, Watts, D & Bates, F, 1982, Leading the way. In Leadership in Schools, pp 11–29,
London, Routledge (contribution in a book)
White, Frank, 2002, Why headteachers need to have vision, Our Leaders of the Future, 5, 65–
70 (journal)
September 2013
bulleted lists and numbered lists
Bulleted lists that are not whole sentences should start with lower case; they do not need
semicolons or commas at the end. If bullets do contain whole sentences, each item should start
with a capital letter and end with a full stop. Bulleted lists should start with either all nouns or all
verbs, if at all possible. Words such as 'to' can appear before the colon (not semicolon) to avoid
repetition after each bullet. Do not put a full stop after numbered bullets.
Schools should aim to:
 innovate
 educate
 collaborate
capitalisation
Things have moved on since Victorian times, when not just proper names, but virtually all
nouns, were given initial caps (a tradition carried on by most estate agents). The gradual
tendency toward lower case in part reflects a less formal society.
Overcapitalisation is still common and it is often used incorrectly for emphasis. It slows down
your reader and is uncomfortable on the eye.
Capitals should only be used for proper nouns and names. Always use lower case for
references to a proper noun: The general secretary will lead the session. Our association has
more than 12,000 members. The strategy addresses literacy in primary schools.
Job titles should be in title case whether they come before or after a name for example use
uppercase for Brian Lightman, ASCL General Secretary, ASCL General Secretary, Brian
Lightman. Where a job title is mentioned in text without naming someone, it should remain in
lowercase for example, the general secretary was in a meeting.
The main title of any document including guidance papers should be in title case, as should the
name of an event.
Use upper case for compass points when they’re used as specific geographical regions, but not
when used as general descriptors: West Midlands, the West Country, Western Europe; The
trend is more prevalent in the north. He lives in south London.
Use lower case for seasons of the year, school subjects (except languages): The handbook
comes out in summer 2005. There is more emphasis on maths and English GCSE results.
Use upper case for key stages and class years with a numeral. . Students in Year 7 are in Key
Stage 3. Students in Year 11 are in KS4. See rules for numbers.
CD-rom, CDs
centuries
21st century
child care
common sense
September 2013
commas
Generally you don’t need a comma before ‘and’ but use one when helps to clarify the meaning:
Children, teachers and parents will benefit. The selection of pies included peach, apple and
blackberry, and cherry.
contractions
Contractions will make text sound more informal and colloquial – whether you use them
depends on the tone you’re trying to achieve.
co-operate
coordinate and coordinator
Council
Upper case when used to refer to ASCL Council. ASCL Council, Council members, Council
meeting. Use lower case for all other references, including other organisations’ councils.
data
Use a singular verb: Data is collected by email.
dates
In text write out months and put the date before the month: 3 May 2005
Do not write as 3rd May or 13th May use number only so 3 May or 13 May
If something is happening this year, it isn’t necessary to include the year with the date, unless
omitting it is confusing.
For centuries: 21st century
Apostrophes are not needed in decades: the 1990s or the nineties
Use an en dash (not hyphen) when you mean ‘to’ in a date: 1990–99, March–April See En
dashes
DfE
Not DFE. Don’t need to spell out on first reference.
directions
Lower case for points of the compass: Schools in the north have more playing fields than those
in the south-west.
e-commerce
eg
No full stops. Avoid using if possible – ‘for example’ is an alternative.
e-learning
email
Not e-mail
en dashes (not hyphens)
En dashes ( – ) are longer than hyphens ( - ). Hyphens are used in words and en dashes are
used in sentences: Other organisations – including ASCL and NAHT – support the long-term
implementation.
Microsoft Word will generally autocorrect hyphens to en dashes but they can be added manually
by holding down the ALT key and typing 0150 on the numeric keypad (to the right of the normal
keypad).
September 2013
etc
No full stop. Avoid using if possible – ‘including’ or ‘for example’ are alternatives.
ethnicity
Use lower case for ‘black’ and ‘white’ to refer to skin colour but upper case to refer to heritage:
Asian, African-Caribbean, Irish
exclamation marks
Use very, very sparingly. Most times, readers will sense your
excitement/exasperation/resentment from the text.
fewer, less
For countable nouns use 'fewer'. For non-countable nouns, use 'less': There were fewer children
than teachers. There was less wine than water.
focused
Not focussed
foreign words
Any 'de' or 'von' is likely to be lower case, unless it starts a sentence: Edward de Bono is a
leading educational thinker.
fractions
Write out fractions in text and hyphenate them: a tenth, two-thirds, four-fifths
gender specific
Avoid using occupational titles ending in ‘-man’ unless you want to refer exclusively to male
workers: salesperson, chair not chairman. When referring to singular nouns use s/he or him or
her.
government
Always lower case. However, upper case for House of Commons and Parliament when referring
to the legislative bodies, but lower case when used as adjectives: parliamentary decision.
Headmaster/mistress
Don’t use. Ever. Substitute ‘head’ if necessary.
headteacher
Don’t capitalise unless it appears next to a name: Anne Smith, Headteacher or The headteacher
was late for a meeting. As an alternative, ‘head’ is perfectly acceptable.
hyphenation
Hyphenate compounds such as ‘up-to-the-minute’ and ‘high-quality’ when used before a noun.
Otherwise don’t hyphenate. The out-of-date guidance paper is being rewritten. The guidance
paper is out of date.
If in doubt on a particular word, follow the Oxford English Dictionary rules on hyphenation.
ie
No full stops. Avoid using if possible – ‘that is’ or ‘in other words’ are alternatives.
in as much
in so far
September 2013
Initial Teacher Training (ITT)
Upper case; abbreviation acceptable
initials
Don’t use spaces or full stops between personal initials: GA Kelly
-ise v -ize
Use the British spelling (-ise)
italics
Italicise titles of books, newspapers and major publications in text. Do not italicise titles of
magazine articles. When it comes to indicating emphasis, italics is the lazy option since there is
usually a way to rewrite text to indicate meaning. Use italics very, very sparingly for adding
emphasis.
key stages and year groups
Use upper case with a numeral: Key Stage 2 or KS2 and Year 1, Year 2
life-long
long-term
midUsually gets hyphenated mid-August, mid-way
mid-week
National Curriculum
Upper case
nationwide
nevertheless
newly qualified teacher (NQT)
Lower case (as it’s not a formally recognised qualification); abbreviation is acceptable
none
'None' means ‘not one’ so should be followed by a singular verb: None of the above is valid.
nonetheless
north east (ern)
And north west (ern)
September 2013
numbers
Write out full numbers from zero to ten and numbers used figuratively: I've told them a hundred
times. Only nine pupils attended.
Use digits for numbers from 11 and above, for percentages and for sums of money: It costs £2.
Only 5 per cent thought it was a good idea.
If a number starts a sentence, write it out. Even better though, turn the sentence around: Eleven
pupils were excluded. The school excluded 11 pupils.
Use commas with numbers 1,000 and above.
off-site/ off site or on-site/ on site
Hyphenate when used as an adjective, one word when used on its own: The training is an onsite activity. The activity is happening off site.
Ofsted
Not OFSTED, not OfSTED
ongoing
online
overpaid
override
overrule
Parliament
Upper case when referring to the legislative body. Lower case when use as a descriptor. The
select committee is a parliamentary body.
part-time/full-time
per cent
Spell out ‘per cent’ instead of using %, unless it is in a table or graph.
place names
Use upper case for names of geographical regions, but not as descriptors: the West Midlands,
the West Country. The trend is more prevalent in the north. He lives in south London.
policy maker
prefixes
Words with prefixes such as anti-, non-, and neo- are generally hyphenated
Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
Upper case; abbreviation acceptable
September 2013
quotes and quotations
Use double quote marks when quoting speech. The quote mark goes after the full stop (or other
punctuation) at the end of the sentence if the quote is a full sentence. He said: “I have always
wanted to be a teacher.” He said that the training was “rigorous but not very relevant”.
Use single quote marks when quoting books, titles or works, when defining a new term, or using
it in a different way. Agreements may have a „no detriment‟ clause.
When attributing quotes to a person, use their full name on first mention. For subsequent
references, use either first name only or the salutation plus last name. John said or Mr Dunford
said. In Leader, first name only is used on subsequent references.
re‘Re’ as a prefix generally is hyphenated: re-emerge, re-entry
Regions/seasons
Lower case without hyphenation for regions (south east, north west) unless it is part of a job title
for example, Jo Smith, Regional Officer South East. Lower case for seasons of the year for
example: We will publish a new handbook in the summer term 2005.
selfIn compound nouns, generally hyphenated: self-confidence, self-employed
self-evaluation
As in school self-evaluation form
shortlist
singular and plural verbs
Collective nouns such as 'government', 'ASCL', ‘staff’ or ‘team’ should generally take a singular
verb when used as a singular noun. The staff is based at headquarters.
'None' means ‘not one’ so should be followed by a singular verb: None of the above is valid.
south east (ern)
and south west (ern)
space between sentences
Only one space between sentences. Double spaces between sentences were needed back in
the days of mechanical typewriters, but no longer. Computer software automatically adjusts the
space between characters so only one space is needed after a full stop. It’s good practice to do
a ‘find and replace’ for double spaces once you've finished a document.
subcommittee
subjects
Lower case for all subjects except languages: mathematics, science, citizenship, English,
Mandarin
September 2013
that, which
Use 'that' or 'which' to refer to objects. Use ‘who’ to refer to people.
time
When writing for ASCL books, magazine articles and guidance papers, use the 12-hour clock
and lower case for am and pm without a space: 10am, 9pm For internal ASCL documents
(council agendas and minutes etc), the 24-hour clock may be easier to use.
Use a full stop to separate hours and minutes and don’t put minutes in if you don’t need them:
He was supposed to arrive at 3pm but didn‟t get here until 6.15pm.
timetable
titles
Titles should be capitalised when they come before the name of the person, similar to a title.
When they come after or on their own, they are a descriptor and should not be capitalised.
Secretary of State Alan Johnson will speak tomorrow. The education secretary will speak on
behaviour. Sue Kirkham is head of Walton High School.
underline
In the days of typewriters, underlining was used to give emphasis. It now is used to indicate web
links. If you must indicate emphasis, use italics. Usually there is a way to rewrite text to place
emphasis without resorting to italics.
underpaid
underrated
update
up-to-date/ up to date
Hyphenate when used as an adjective, one word when used on its own; There is an up-to-date
version. That version is up to date.
UPS1
To refer to upper pay spine. You do not need to write it out on first reference, but do not put a
space before the number.
web addresses
Do not use a full stop after an email address or web address, even at the end of a sentence, as
it can be confusing to some readers. Don’t include ‘http://’ Visit the ASCL website at
www.ascl.org.uk
website
Not web site
withhold
workforce
world-class
worldwide
September 2013
Appendix
Membership and Communications Committee
Minutes
Thursday 21 June 2012
ASCL Council, Hilton Hotel, Coventry
Present
Sue Moore (Chair)
Ruth Del Grosso (Scribe)
Allan Foulds
Sara Gadzik
Les Smith
Rob Sykes
Buki Jukwey
Permjit Mann
Simon Thompson
Nicola Clay (alternate for Graham Hornsby)
The first half hour was taken up with a joint meeting with MAPS Committee to discuss
recruitment at ASCL events. Notes from the discussion are appended.
1
Welcome, introductions, apologies and alternates
The Chair welcomed all present. Nicola was introduced and welcomed to her first committee.
Apologies were received from Angela Stewart, Graham Hornsby, Jacques Szemalikowski
and Helen Wright.
2
Process review
Allan Foulds volunteered to conduct the process review.
3
Action points – update
Point two: Sara informed the committee that there will be an update next term on the
progress with middle managers.
Point four: There will be further information on the membership survey in the autumn term.
Point five: A reminder had been placed in Leader to update email addresses.
September 2013
4
Minutes of the previous meeting
The minutes of the meeting held on 1 March 2012 were approved as an accurate record of
proceedings.
5
Matters arising
There were no matters arising.
6
Membership statistics update
It was noted that ASCL has reached 17,000 members. ASCL HQ was thanked for all their
hard work in reaching this figure.
Sara reported that the membership statistics showed the resignations for 2012 were slightly
higher than 2011. Ruth reported the following:




7
17,000 members may be difficult to maintain as we approach the summer with
retirements.
New members joining figures showed that we recruit well at our own events.
From the resignation reasons there has been an increase in the number of people
leaving due to being out of a leadership post or out of teaching at present and a large
number that we have lost contact with.
The reasons and decisions for joining showed that colleague referral/
recommendation is the main reason for joining ASCL and also the appointment to the
SLT.
Branch statistics
Sara referred to the papers on low branch numbers. It was noted that it was difficult to be
completely accurate as we could not be exactly sure how many members of the leadership
team each school had.
It was noted that there are only a few areas where we are consistently low in members. It is
sometimes hard to encourage people to move when most of the colleagues are in a different
union.
Branch Secretaries could be encouraged to help in the areas where we are low in numbers,
however we do not have a branch secretary in some areas. Extending invites to branch
meetings to non-members was considered. Piloting activity in specific areas may be an
option.
Tracking job adverts from TES was considered. The membership office does this at present
and sends a letter inviting them to join when they are new to the post. It was suggested that
we send out some of our literature/guidance with the letter to aid recruitment. The possibility
of sending details of the nearest ASCL council member to contact was discussed.
September 2013
To help encourage local recruitment with Council we could reinstate the incentive of offering
wine at Council to the region with the largest increase. This helps to remind Council
members about recruitment.
Action: HQ to look at sending further information with TES recruitment.
Action: Figures for region with the largest increase to be tabled at next committee meeting.
8
Communication between branch secretaries, regional officers and Council reps
update
Sara reported that the survey did not give a clear mandate to change the branch structure.
It has been decided to keep the structure as it is but enhance the role of the branch
secretary. This will involve more structured training for branch secretaries. The training
sessions will focus on things like media, negotiation skills etc.
The distinction between branch secretary and council representative needs to be made.
9
Web navigation improvements: to review and discuss
The proposed new navigation for the website was tabled, together with some questions.
The main changes are to the existing advice, opinion and resources section. The following
comments were noted for communications to review:






The committee was not sure about the ‘About you’ section and how this relates to an
individual. Members may not be sure what to expect under each heading.
The ‘Key topics’ section is applicable to all categories of membership. This works
well.
Will the ‘About you’ be accessible to non-members?
It seemed appropriate to split roles for colleges or business managers if there is some
different information for them.
The information will be replicated in other tabs.
It will be useful to have a search for key topics on the website.
Action: Due to time constraints, members of the committee were asked to email any further
comments on the new navigation to Sara or Permjit.
10
Feedback from main committees and possible areas for communication to members
There was nothing to report.
11
Report from business development manager
September 2013
There was no report from the business development manager. The chair informed the
committee that it may be better for the business development manager to report directly to
the MAPS Committee rather than Membership and Communications Committee.
Action: Sara to look at the reporting back of business development manager.
12
Any other urgent business
There was no other urgent business.
13
Items for a future agenda


14
Member survey
ASCL’s profile with middle managers
Meeting review
The agenda was well planned with supporting papers kept to a minimum. It was a large room
because of the joint meeting but we adapted well. There was a slightly late start but this was
due to the joint meeting. There was a wide range of creative input to discussions. Decisions
were made and action points were clear. All areas of equal opportunities were covered.
Action point
Action by
Action point 1: HQ to look at sending further
information with TES recruitment
Comms directorate, HQ
Action point 2: Figures for region with the largest
increase to be tabled at next committee meeting
Action point 3: Members of the committee were
asked to email any further comments on the new
navigation to Sara or Permjit
RDG
Action point 4: Sara to look at the reporting back
of business development manager
SG
September 2013
All committee members