Overview
To search this page for a specific term, use CTRL + F on a PC or Command F on a Mac.
If something isn't covered here, refer to the following:
If you have any feedback about this style guide, contact content@detcorpcomms.zendesk.com.
Abbreviations and acronyms
When abbreviating the NSW Department of Education, use 'the department' wherever possible. If space is a factor, such as in a tweet or a table heading, use 'DoE'.
Online search is very powerful so don’t assume your reader has seen the full explanation of an abbreviation or acronym on a previous page. Spell out and put an acronym in brackets for the first use on each webpage.
It is easier for a reader if you do not constantly refer to the acronym. Use other words like 'the board' for variety.
When to use acronyms
Consider your audience when deciding whether to spell out an acronym. As long as your audience will understand, you can use the following acronyms on the first reference without first spelling them out.
We've included the full versions here for you to note the capital letters in the full versions, in the event that you need to spell it out for your audience. If you do, always spell out first then include the acronym in parentheses.
Note: Avoid using acronyms in page titles.
When to spell out terms in full
Always spell the following acronyms out on first reference unless you know for certain your audience will know the acronym better than the full name. Note the casing and exceptions to usual rules about acronyms.
Convention | Examples |
|---|---|
Do not use full stops or spaces in common abbreviations and personal titles. Use a nonbreaking space between a numeral and a measurement abbreviation. | UNICEF Anzac Mr BA DipEd 9 am 5 pm 9 km 4 MB 830 KB (note: upper case) p 4 (for page) pp 7-9 (for consecutive pages) |
Do not use eg, ie, NB or etc. Spell these out instead. | for example that is note and so on |
Use a full stop for less common abbreviations. | fig. (for figure) cont. (for continued) |
Do not use an apostrophe when pluralising an acronym. | SSPs RTOs |
Do not use acronyms in page headings. Spell them out in full or use an alternative word or phrase. | Understanding project-based learning (not ‘Understanding PBL’) Frequently asked questions (not ‘FAQs’) Special religious education (not ‘SRE’) Special education in ethics (not ‘SEE’) |
Bold, italics and underlining
Avoid using italics online, especially for large blocks of text. Do not use bold, italics or underlining in headings. Use only the styles provided.
Convention | Examples |
|---|---|
Use bold if you must add emphasis to a particular word or phrase within a sentence. To make sure a screen reader will read it correctly, use tags in HTML. Never use tags. | Select New. Make sure you have your director's approval before you fill in this form. |
In general, don’t use italics online in large blocks of text. Screen readers treat them inconsistently and dyslexic readers find them difficult to comprehend. Use inverted commas to set apart titles of short publications. See also Publication titles. | For specific guidance about staff dress code, see the department’s Code of Conduct. For step-by-step instructions, refer to the ‘Adobe Experience Manager how-to guide’. Read Tomorrow When the War Began for homework. For more information, refer to the ‘Setting up a customer quick reference guide’. Under the Education Act 1990, children must attend school from the age of 6. |
You may use italics for scientific names or foreign words used within an English sentence. To make sure a screen reader will pronounce foreign words and phrases correctly, use the appropriate HTML language code. If a foreign word or phrase is commonly used in English, do not italicise it. | Choose low-maintenance plants like the peace lily (Spathiphyllum Wallisii) for your classroom. The kanji in the Japanese texts in the specimen paper are drawn from the list of prescribed characters. In German, words for ‘the’ include der, die and das. In ancient times, Greece (Hellas) was made up of city-states. We set up an ad hoc committee to deal with the subject. If you haven’t already RSVP’d, please do so today. |
Don’t underline or underscore any text. | Underlining makes text look like a link. |
Refer to the Style Manual's guidance on italics.
Capital letters
Keep capital letters to a minimum. Never use all caps.
We’ve outlined some general guidelines here, with specific examples below.
Use title case (where the first letter of each main word is upper case and the rest are lower case) for proper nouns. Proper nouns include:
Use lower case for:
Use lower case for 'department'
As per the Australian Government Style Manual, use lower case when using the generic form of the Department of Education – the department.
The Government terms section states:
"Use initial capital letters only for the formal names of government departments and agencies. Check the names of departments and agencies in the government online directory.
Don’t use capital letters for generic mentions. For example, use:
The only exception is for briefings to the Minister. Refer to the correspondence and briefing guidelines from Government Business (staff only) for more details.
Organisations, people and places
Convention | Examples |
|---|---|
Use title case for organisation names when using the full name. Use lower case when referring to them generally. | the Department of Education or the department NSW Government or the government the University of Sydney or the university the Killara High School P&C Association or the association, your school's P&C association NSW Health (not Ministry of Health) |
Use title case for members of the department’s executive in all cases. | the Secretary of the Department of Education or the Secretary the Deputy Secretary, School Operations and Performance or the Deputy Secretary Deputy Secretaries the Minister for Education or the Minister |
Use title case for position titles when referring to a specific title and person, including their unit or directorate, if applicable. Use lower case when using titles generally. | Anne Smith, Principal, Roseville Public School Robert Jones, Principal, School Leadership Toni Cheng, Director, Educational Leadership Jill Smith, A/Principal, Roseville Public School Peter Jones, R/Principal, Roseville Public School John Brown, Web Adviser, Communication and Engagement the principal, executive director, teacher, instructional adviser, acting principal, relieving principal the director, educational leadership and principal, school leadership (PSL) are responsible for... |
Use title case for the names of agencies or areas that have a public face, profile or brand. | Aboriginal Affairs Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (CESE) |
Use title case for the names of corporate groups and divisions. | School Performance – North Education and Skills Reform People Group School Infrastructure NSW |
Use title case for directorates and business units, but lower case for the word 'directorate' and 'business unit' unless part of the official title. Use lower case for any teams at a lower level than business units. | Asset Management Audit directorate Communication and Engagement Information Technology Directorate Professional and Ethical Standards Legal Services Procurement Solutions Directorate the content team |
Use title case for most government terms and titles. | the Prime Minister the Treasurer the Attorney-General the Cabinet the Treasury the Act/Ordinance the Executive Parliament House, Commonwealth Parliament, the Parliament Library or ‘the debate in parliament continued for hours’ Australian Government (note: don’t use federal, national or commonwealth) NSW Government or the government |
Use title case when referring to a specific qualification, accreditation or course Use lower case when referring to qualifications generally. | Bachelor of Education (Primary) Certificate III in Skills for Work and Training Professional Accomplishment certificate III or diploma qualifications a bachelor’s degree a master’s degree a PhD |
Use title case for descriptive place names that have taken a semi-official status. Use lower case for the descriptive part of most geographical names. | the Central Coast North/South Coast the Inner West southern Australia western Sydney south-west Sydney |
| Use lower case for seasons unless part of a proper noun. | the summer uniformwinter holidaysSpring Sports Carnival |
Note the casing in these specific examples. | Aboriginal affairs (‘affairs’ is lower case unless referring to the agency. ‘Aboriginal’ always has an upper case A) access request – lower case unless referring to ERN Access Request adult and community education (ACE) Anzac (not ANZAC) Australian Curriculum bushfire program EDConnect Integration Funding Support memorandum of understanding (not MOU) MyPL My School (for the website, not your own school) non-government schools NSW public schools (unless part of a full title such as NSW Public Schools State Drama Ensemble) OCHRE: opportunity, choice, healing, responsibility, empowerment quality teaching model (not framework) quality teaching rounds School Finder specialist support classes state state office |
Publication and program titles
| Convention | Examples |
|---|---|
Use title case for the names of policies, procedures, programs (including awards programs), assessments, syllabus and tests when using the full name. Use lower case for subsequent/generic forms. Do not italicise. If you need to set a title apart in text, use inverted commas. | Aboriginal Education Strategy or the strategy National Quality Framework or the framework Assisted School Travel Program or the program Australian Professional Standards for Teachers Best Start Kindergarten Assessment or the assessment Community Languages Schools Program but community languages schools Connected Communities Department of Education Annual Report 2016 or the annual report Education for a Changing World Elsa Dixon Aboriginal Employment Program Great Place to Work Intensive English Centre (IEC) or the centre Intensive English High School (IEHS) or the high school Languages K-10 Framework New Arrivals Program (NAP) or the program Premier’s Public Sector Awards, Strengthening the Environment and Communities category Rural and Remote Education: A blueprint for action Saturday School of Community Languages School Excellence Framework Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus or the syllabus All 4 macro skills can be addressed through ‘Accessing and responding’ under the ‘Communicating’ objective, if the response is in the target language. Culture cannot be taught discretely. Instead, ‘The role of language and culture’ explores the interplay between languages and culture, and how one can influence the other. This unit explores the cross-curriculum priority areas of ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander histories and cultures’ and ‘Sustainability’. |
Use title case for official national partnership names. Do not italicise. | National Partnership Agreement on Skills Reform Low Socio-Economic Status School Communities National Partnership Empowering Local Schools National Partnership National Partnership on Literacy and Numeracy |
Use title case when referring to titles of long publications such as books, magazines, journals, movies and official reports, as well as legislation and official department policies. | Australian Journal of Education Code of Conduct Education Act 1990 Macquarie Dictionary Performance Management and Development Policy Style Manual: For authors, editors and printers Sydney Morning Herald Gone with the Wind |
See also Publication titles.
School terminology
| Convention | Examples |
|---|---|
Use upper case for English and other languages. Use lower case for all other subjects. | Arabic English French Japanese creative arts economics geography mathematics music science and technology |
Use lower case for key learning areas (KLAs), but use upper case for their abbreviations. | human society and its environment (HSIE) personal development, health and physical education (PDHPE) mathematics |
Use upper case when referring to specific NAPLAN domain titles and references when used in conjunction with a specific score. Use lower case when referring to literacy and numeracy in general. | National Minimum Standard Numeracy – Band 6 The average score on the Reading assessment was 570. At the department, we place strong emphasis on the importance of literacy and numeracy. |
Use upper case when referring to a specific school year or stage. See also Stages of learning. | Year 1, Year 2, Year 3 Years 1, 2 and 3 Years 1 to 3 (Years 1-3 in a table) Stage 3 Kindergarten (note: ‘preschool’ is always lower case) |
Use upper case when referring to specific terms, weeks and semesters. | Term 3 Week 2 Term 2 2019 Term 1 Week 4 2019 Semester 1 2020 |
Website specifics
| Convention | Examples |
|---|---|
Only capitalise the first letter of a webpage name and page headline unless the name contains a proper noun. | Academic opportunities Scholarships and awards Ministerial media releases Working with children Contact us About us Events calendar |
When writing instructions for web applications, match the casing to what the user will see on their screen. Use bold to emphasise the key elements in the instructions. In HTML, use tags, never tags. Use ‘select’ rather than ‘click’ as it is more inclusive. | Select File then Open. Select SAVE. Select Edit. Open Asset Finder. Hold down Alt and type 0150 on the numeric keypad. |
Contact details
Use a call-out box at the end of your content to provide additional links or contact details.
Hyperlink the full email address so users can copy and paste if needed. Use mailto: instead of https:// in your link code.
Hyperlink phone numbers so users can dial directly from their smartphones. Use tel: instead of https:// in your link code and don't use spaces.
Start all call-out boxes with a heading that follows the existing heading hierarchy on the page. See below for examples.
Convention | Examples |
|---|---|
If you need to list multiple formats, use a bullet list. | For more information about [topic], you can: See also Lists. |
Be consistent when listing contact details. Include the area code – you never know where your audience is viewing your content from. See the digital.nsw content style guide for more. | Joan SmithContent AdviserLearning and Business Systems02 5550 05500405 555 555email@det.nsw.edu.au (Note: use soft returns between lines by holding down ‘Shift’ and pressing ‘Enter’ or ‘Return’) See also Capital letters. |
More information
For further reading and resources, visit:
Need help?
For help, email email@det.nsw.edu.au or call 1300 55 55 55.
How can we help?
For more information, contact:
Joan SmithContent Adviser02 5550 05500405 555 555email@det.nsw.edu.au.
Copyright and citations
If you’re using any third-party material, you must cite it appropriately. Include the creator’s name linked to the source as well as the creative commons (CC) licence linked to the relevant creative commons webpage.
Referencing NESA content
When attributing NESA use this style:
[Title of the document] © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, [Year of publication].
Example:
'By the end of Stage 4, students describe the nature of history and archaeology, as well as explain their contribution to an understanding of the past.'
History K–10 Syllabus © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, [Year of publication].
Copyright and terms of use
All NSW Department of Education resources require a copyright statement.
For a short version with a hyperlink, use the following:
© State of New South Wales (Department of Education), 2021.
When you can't include a hyperlink to the official copyright page, use the following:
© State of New South Wales (Department of Education), 2021.
The copyright material published in this resource is subject to the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) and is owned by the NSW Department of Education or, where indicated, by a party other than the NSW Department of Education (third-party material).
Copyright material available in this resource and owned by the NSW Department of Education is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.
This licence allows you to share and adapt the material for any purpose, even commercially.Attribution should be given to © State of New South Wales (Department of Education), 2021.
Material in this resource not available under a Creative Commons licence:
Correspondence guidelines
We use open punctuation for letters, emails and other correspondence. That means we do not use a comma after the salutation (Dear John) or closing (Yours faithfully).
Refer to the correspondence and briefing guidelines from Ministerial and Executive Services (staff only) for more details.
Dates and times
Convention | Examples |
|---|---|
Do not use ordinals or commas when writing out dates, except when used as an introductory element. | 22 January 2017 Wednesday 19 July 2017 On 4 July 2017, a group of American expats got together to celebrate Independence Day. |
| Use DD/MM/YY style for tables. | 01/08/1731/10/16 |
Use the full name of the day and month where you can. Use the approved shortened versions with no full stop where space is an issue, such as in a tweet, table heading or event listing. | Shortened forms for days: Mon Tues Wed Thu Fri Sat SunShortened forms for months: Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec |
| Use a hyphen in year ranges. When both years share the first two digits, shorten the second year to only include the second two digits. | Financial year 2016-17Literacy and Numeracy Strategy 2017-20 |
Use a hyphen without spaces in simple date ranges Use a hyphen with spaces in ranges that span multiple months. Use words when you include a range in dates within a sentence. | 19-21 July 201831 August - 2 SeptemberOur offices are closed from 23 December 2017 to 7 January 2018.School holidays are from 10 to 21 April. |
Do not use apostrophes when referring to decades. | 1960s (not 1960’s or ‘60s) |
Use numerals for times. Use a colon between hours and minutes. Use a non-breaking space between the numerals and 'am' or 'pm'. | 9 am 9:30 am noon (not midday; use 12 pm in tables) midnight (12 am in tables) |
Use words when you include a range in times within a sentence. Use a hyphen between times in tables or simple text. | Our office is open from 9 am to 4:30 pm. Call the office between 9 and 11 am. 9 am-4:30 pm 9-11 am |
Ellipses
An ellipsis is always three dots … like that. No spaces between them.
Formatting will always follow one of two styles: in the middle of a sentence or between two sentences.
In the middle of a sentence
When used in the middle of a sentence, an ellipsis has a space on either side. The first letter after it will be lower case.
Between two sentences
When used between two sentences, include the end punctuation from the first sentence, followed by an ellipsis with spaces on either side. The first letter after the ellipsis will be upper case.
Hyperlinks
In general, don't spell out URLs in the online space. Instead, hyperlink keywords to point the user in the right direction.
Never hyperlink an H2 heading as it confuses the anchor link box at the top of the page. Avoid hyperlinks on other headings if possible.
Convention | Examples |
|---|---|
When listing our main website online, use education.nsw.gov.au as the link text. Do not include 'www.' or 'https://' in the text that users see. Make sure any punctuation is not in hyperlink style. | Use education.nsw.gov.au as your default homepage.For a thorough understanding of the way we work, visit education.nsw.gov.au/about-us. |
When listing URLs in print, use education.nsw.gov.au. Do not include 'www.' or 'http://'. Do not include a final slash for longer URLs. Make sure any punctuation is not in hyperlink style. | For more tips, visit education.nsw.gov.au/road-safety-education.[Example in a footer]education.nsw.gov.au |
Match your link text to the destination. Include keywords from the page you're referring to, if not the full title of the page itself. If you use a page or document title in your hyperlink, match the casing of the thing you're linking to. Otherwise, hyperlink text should stay in sentence case. Don’t use the same text for different destinations. Never use ‘click here’ or other generic instructions. Use active voice not passive voice. Do not select 'open in new window' for hyperlinks to avoid confusion. Make sure any sentence punctuation is outside the hyperlink, including commas, full stops and spaces. | Go to Policies and procedures for more details. For more information read the cyber safety section of the Technology guide for parents and carers. Visit the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) website to download the continuum of skills. |
| Use 'staff only' within the link text when you link from a publicly available page to a staff-only page or document. | Find more details in the Pay, leave and benefits (staff only) section of the human resources intranet. For more information, refer to the Budget Policy (staff only). Download the quick reference guide (staff only) (PDF 160 KB). |
When linking to internal downloads, include details about the file format and size. Include this information as part of the link to ensure a screen reader reads this before the user chooses to download the file. Use the file size that comes up in ‘document properties’. Do not link to downloads we do not own. Instead, link to the webpage that includes the download link. If the owner of that content updates the download, we would run the risk of linking to outdated information. Do not select 'open in new window' for hyperlinks to avoid confusion. | Download all schools personas (PDF 1.81 MB) Application to enrol in a NSW Government school (PDF 155 KB) Guide to the National Quality Standard (PDF 8.6 MB) Template 1: approved provider notice (DOC 60 KB) Template 2: approved parent and carer notice (DOCX 89 KB) (note: KB is upper case) |
See also Linking guidelines.
Hyphens, dashes and ellipses
Convention | Examples |
|---|---|
Several common words do not contain a hyphen. | coordinate coursework keyword interagency login (when used as a noun or adjective) but log in (verb) prerequisite schoolwork socioeconomic statewide textbook videoconference, videoconferencing wellbeing |
Use hyphens for compound adjectives when used before the noun they modify. | evidence-based evaluation (but note no hyphen in: the evaluation is evidence based) full-time staff (but note no hyphen in: the staff member is full time) long-term arrangement (but note no hyphen in: the arrangement was long term) up-to-date content (but note no hyphen in: the content is up to date) school-based staff (but note no hyphen in: the staff is school based) post-school activities (but note no hyphen in: the activities are post school) work-life balance Commonwealth-state agreement South-East Asia decision-making (a decision-making process, and the art of decision-making) |
Several common terms appear as two separate words. Do not hyphenate compound modifiers that include an -ly word. | a lot cross curriculum full stop log in (when used as a verb) play space a finely honed argument |
Use hyphens in number spans and ranges, not en dashes. Spell out the appropriate word (‘to’ or ‘and’) within a sentence or heading. | pages 31-35 2016-18 9 am-5 pm Read pages 31 to 35 and report back on Monday. Our working hours are between 9 am and 5 pm. |
Use en dashes with spaces in headings, not colons or ellipses. | Great Teaching, Inspired Learning – a guide Resources – extension courses English – standard |
Use en dashes with spaces to signify an abrupt change in a sentence or to set apart a parenthetical element. | Enrolment is available on a quota basis – but not in this case. Schools must provide required resources – textbooks, phones and computers – as well as supervision. |
How do I insert an en dash?
In most programs, you can find an en dash under ‘Insert’ then ‘Special characters’.
In Microsoft programs, the ‘Special characters’ menu is under ‘Symbols’ then ‘More symbols’. These programs will also auto-correct a hyphen with a space - like this - as you type. Just make sure you hit the space bar to make it appear.
Keyboard shortcuts
On a PC, hold down the Alt key and type 0150 on your numeric keypad.
On a Mac, hold down the option key and type a hyphen.
Lists
In general, opt for bulleted (unordered) lists rather than numbered (ordered) lists.
Numbered lists make more sense if you're talking about a step-by-step process.
Convention | Examples |
|---|---|
Use a colon to introduce a list within a sentence. Use lower case for the first word of the dot points (except where this is a proper noun) and place a full stop at end of last word in the list. | Greenville High School offers music lessons with the following instruments: |
Use a colon to introduce a list that consists of self-contained sentences. Use a capital at the beginning of each line, and full stop at the end of each sentence. | The inquiry came to two conclusions: |
Use a colon to introduce a multi-level list that serves as part of a sentence. Use the bullet hierarchy as shown. Do not use a colon within sub-levels. Do not use more than two sub-levels within a list. | We can summarise these features as follows: |
| Do not use a colon at the end of a subheading that introduces a list.Do not use a colon to introduce a standalone list, such as in a PowerPoint presentation. Do not use a full stop at the end of a standalone list | Awareness week agendaFurniture and equipment for meeting room |
Multimedia content (images and videos)
You can't publish information that identifies a person – a student, a parent or carer, or any other individual – without their permission. Find out more about permission to publish (staff only).
Photos and images
Images should add value and/or provide context to your content. Don’t use images in a purely decorative sense. Don’t use third-party images without copyright approval and proper attribution (See copyright and citations).
Include a caption and alt text for all images. For screen shots, use the alt text 'Screen shot of step 3' for example. Learn more about image guidelines.
When using an image on your website, use the image with caption component.
Use the in-page editor to upload screen shots used in instructional content.
These rules also apply to charts, diagrams and graphs.
Image dimensions
| Image type | Width (pixels) | Height (pixels) |
|---|---|---|
| Full size banner (with button and text) | 1110 | 524 |
| Shallow banner (image only) | 1110 | 227 |
| 50/50 banner (image only) | 730 | 411 |
| Page thumbnail | 730 | 411 |
| Image with caption | 730 | 411 |
| Feature news item/media release/announcement | Uses page thumbnail | n/a |
| Catalogue (if image not displayed in page content) | uses page thumbnail | n/a |
| Content teaser (if image not displayed in page content) | uses page thumbnail | n/a |
Example of image with caption on a standard webpage
High school students on a beach with surfboards.
Videos
Videos must be hosted on the department’s enterprise video hosting service, Brightcove. Videos also must have captions, an HTML transcript and, if required, an audio description of what is seen.
Include the title of the video and its length before embedding the video.
Don't rely on auto captioning services as they often include errors. You can use these captions as a starting point, but make sure you manually edit them.
Video transcripts should:
Depending on where the video is embedded, you have a few options for where to put the transcript:
When embedding a video in a webpage, follow this format:
Video – heading in appropriate hierarchy (duration min:sec)
[embed video with Brightcove code]
Transcript of [Video title in sentence case] video
See also:
Transcript example
Numbers
Convention | Examples |
|---|---|
Use words for zero and one. Use numerals for 2 and above. Refer to the Style Manual's Choosing numerals or words for more examples, but note some Education-specific exceptions here. To avoid starting a sentence with a numeral, rephrase the sentence. | Section 1 covers the rules. Year 1 Term 1 Week 1 The evaluation requires one-on-one interviews with all parties. Hundreds of people showed up to the banquet. More than 500 people showed up to the banquet. |
Use numerals for measurements. Spell out the measurement when it's in a sentence. Use a space between the numeral and measurement when it's spelled out. Abbreviate the measurement in tables. Use a non-breaking space between numerals and the symbol. | 7 kilometres45.9 seconds7 km (in a table)45.9 s (in a table) |
Use commas, not spaces, for 1,000 and above. | There were 1,500 respondents to the survey. More than 10,000 people attended. |
| Spell out 'million', 'billion' and other large numbers when referring to round numbers. You can abbreviate in less formal communication such as social media. | You can earn from 500 to 5 million dollars.The house cost $5.3 million.10K = 10,0001M = 1 million |
Spell out simple fractions and use hyphens. Express a mixed fraction in figures unless it is the first word of a sentence. | One-half of the pies are vegetarian.We require a two-thirds majority...We expect a 5.5% wage increase.Five and one-half per cent was the maximum... |
Use the % symbol when referring to percentages. | Nearly 50% of our staff responded. |
Percentages can represent two different things: To clarify when expressing the change between two percentage values, express the value before and after the change, as well as the difference you intend to highlight. | The absence rate decreased from 10% to 5% – a drop of 5 percentage points. |
Use numerals to express precise mathematical relationships. Leave spaces between numerals and symbols, except with ratio and percentages or when a plus or minus sign indicates a positive or negative value. | 21 + 32 = 5315 / 3 = 54:125%-2+2 |
Use roman numerals if part of the established name | World War IICleopatra VII, Darius III, Henry VIII, |
See also Dates and times.
Page titles
Page title – Front loading
Place the most descriptive/important keyword in your title as close to the front of your page title as possible. Example: "Algebra – Why it is so important".
Page title – Length
Keep your webpage titles under 65 characters (including spaces). While some input fields may allow longer titles we encourage all staff to aim for between 50-60 characters. 50-60 characters is ideal for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) (i.e. Google will truncate a long title in search result listings at around 50-60 characters). If you need more context for your title, please add it to your metadescription.
Page title – Uniqueness
Each page title on the DoE website should be unique. Please refrain from naming your page with a title that might already be used. For example, naming your page "News" will not be very helpful, as we have many pages already named "News". A better title might be "News – (name of your web area)" or "News | (name of your web area)".
Publication titles
Convention | Examples |
|---|---|
Use title case and italics when referring to titles of long publications such as books, magazines, journals and movies, as well as legislation and official department policies. This means the first letter of each major word is capitalised. | Australian Journal of Education Education Act 1990 Macquarie Dictionary Style Manual: For authors, editors and printers Sydney Morning Herald Starry Night Gone with the Wind |
Use title case but no italics for official department policies and reports. This means the first letter of each major word is capitalised. | Code of Conduct Performance Management and Development Policy Annual Report 2020 |
Use sentence case for titles of short publications such as articles, videos, fact sheets, quick reference guides, procedure documents and form names. This means only the first letter is capitalised. Proper nouns always retain their initial capitals. | Distance education enrolment procedures Getting ready for school Social media policy implementation procedures NSW budget for education 2016-2017 Request for formal exemption |
Use single quotation marks or inverted commas when using a short publication title within a sentence, where required for clarity. | For more information, refer to the ‘Setting up a customer quick reference guide’. The school assembly will sing 'I Still Call Australia Home'. |
See also Capital letters.
Quotation marks
Convention | Examples |
|---|---|
Use single quotation marks to set apart titles of short publications, phrases or words within a sentence. Set your final full stop or other punctuation mark outside the quotation mark. Do not use quotation marks for emphasis. | For more information, refer to the ‘Setting up a customer quick reference guide’. ‘People with disability’ is the preferred term. Use ‘vision impaired’ not ‘blind’. |
Use single quotation marks to set apart quotes from written publications. Set your final full stop or other punctuation mark outside the quotation mark for partial quotes, but inside the quotation mark for full sentences. | The report recommends turning teacher education ‘upside down’ by implementing ‘programs that are fully grounded in clinical practice and interwoven with academic content and professional courses’. The report notes, ‘Better evidence of the effectiveness of initial teacher education in the Australian context is needed to inform innovative program design and delivery.’ |
Use double quotation marks for quotes within quotes. | ‘Document 10 describes the “disorganised retreat” of a first wave of lightly armed soldiers.’ |
| Use double quotation marks for direct speech. | I was having a kick with them and I said to mum, “These kids have got some talent. They need to be out playing soccer in the community.” |
Use a block quote for quotes longer than 30 words.
A report by the Australian Council for Education Research (2014) states:
Schools
In general usage, say ‘public school’ as the first preference or ‘government school’ to vary your vocabulary. Do not use ‘state school’.
If you do have to mention private schools, say ‘private school’ or ‘non-government school’.
Note: the private school sector is divided into Catholic and independent schools (lower case). To avoid confusion, stick to ‘private school’ or ‘non-government school’ as there are some Catholic independent schools.
Check the spelling of the school on the School Finder.
Convention | Examples |
|---|---|
Use upper case for names of primary schools and refer to them as ‘Public School’. | Bundeena Public School (note: use this style even though the school may be listed as Bundeena Primary School) |
Use upper case for names of secondary schools and refer to them as ‘High School’. | South Sydney High School |
Use upper case for the full title of a school for specific purposes (SSPs; NEVER ‘special’). Use lower case when referring to SSPs in general. The same rule applies for environmental education centres, distance education centres and other specialty schools. | Alexandria Park Community School Coffs Harbour Learning Centre Coffs Harbour Senior College Dubbo School of Distance Education Hunter School of Performing Arts John Hunter Hospital School Southern Cross Distance Education Centre The Beach School Westfields Sports High School boarding school |
Differentiate campuses of the same college with a comma, using lower case for the campus delineation unless it includes a proper noun. | Callaghan College, Jesmond campus (note: lower case campus) Callaghan College, Waratah technology campus Sydney Secondary College, Blackwattle Bay campus |
Note: some schools have an additional descriptive word that differentiates them from another school. | Matraville Soldiers Settlement Public School is different from Matraville Public School |
Spelling and word choice
The Macquarie Dictionary is our definitive guide. When the dictionary presents two options, use the first. We’ve called out some specific examples here because they tend to cause confusion.
For spelling and casing of computer or technical terms that aren't specified here, refer to the Computer Hope dictionary. Note that some of the terms listed there use American spelling, so correct these to Australian where possible.
A
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: Use instead of ‘Indigenous’ in relation to Aboriginal Australians. Refer to the digital.nsw writing for inclusivity guide for more detail.
Aborigine: do not use at all in relation to Aboriginal Australians
additional learning needs: not 'special needs'
affect: means to influence or cause a change (Her cold affected her singing.)
a lot: two words
alternate: means to take turns (Day and night alternate.)
alternative: means a different choice (We’ll find you an alternative date for the workshop.)
among: not amongst
ampersand: don't use unless it is part of a name (Killara High School P&C Association)
apostrophes: don’t use in place names (Coffs Harbour, Kings Cross) or for boys and girls schools (Canterbury Girls High) or in any NSW public school name (Taverners Hill Public School). BUT boys' sports and girls' education take possessive apostrophe.Possesive apostrophes: if you pronounce the ‘s then add an s after the apostrophe. If you don’t, just use the apostrophe (the Smiths’ car, the Joneses’ new house, Jesus’s disciples).
art form: 2 words
artmaking: one word
Australian: use to refer to all cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds. Mention heritage, cultural or other national identity only if it’s necessary. Consult the Style Manual on how to refer to nationalities, peoples and places outside of Australia.
B
bring your own device (BYOD): lower case unless using the acronym
bushfire: one word
C
co-curricular: use instead of 'extra-curricular' (Our school offers a range of co-curricular activities.)
commas: do not use the Oxford comma, or final serial comma, unless you need to clarify a complex list. (The shop sells apples, bananas and potatoes. Our directorates include Communication and Engagement, Audit, and Health and Safety.)
complementary: means completing (The complementary strategies will satisfy all stakeholders.)
complimentary: means either flattering or free (The Attorney-General made some complimentary remarks. We’ll be issuing 50 complimentary tickets.)
COVID-19: ensure all references use the full name in uppercase as it's an acronym and there are other coronaviruses in the world. For print uses, link toeducation.nsw.gov.au/covid-19.
Ddata: use data as a singular noun (This data indicates that NSW Government schools are highly effective.)
day care: two words
degrees: a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, a PhD
discreet: means circumspect or restrained (Be discreet in your treatment of a contentious issue.)
discrete: means distinct or separate (The work is in two discrete parts.)
dos and don'ts: note the apostrophe
E
ebook: no hyphen
either/neither: either takes or, neither takes nor
effect: a verb – to bring about. (He effected a return to profit.) Also used as noun, meaning a result, a consequence (The effect of heat).
e-learning: note the hyphen
Elder: Aboriginal Elder
email: no hyphen
English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D); do not use ESL
enquiry: use inquiry
e-safety: note the hyphen
exclamation marks: use sparingly
extra-curricular: use 'co-curricular' instead (Our school offers a range of co-curricular activities.)
ezine: no hyphen
F
fewer than: use with nouns that can be counted (fewer than 50 students scored...; see also 'less than')
G
GIF: upper case
Gigabytes: GB
go live: verb (When you're ready for your site to go live, follow the process.)
go-live: noun or adjective (Before go-live, make sure you’ve reviewed the content guidelines. As part of the go-live process, the team will conduct a verification scan.)
Great Teaching, Inspired Learning
H
headings and subheadings: use an initial capital and then lower case except for proper nouns
homepage: one word
I
inclusive language: take a 'people first' approach to ensure your language is inclusive.
Indigenous: use Aboriginal as an adjective and noun instead of Indigenous when referring to NSW residents. Indigenous is a common term that you may use to refer to a business entity or business function.
inquiry: means an investigation (The department is conducting an inquiry into the incident.) or question (Thank you for your inquiry.)
internet: lower case
interschool: one word
iPad: follow Apple’s style for similar devices
J
JPG: upper case (no need to spell out)
L
learning from home: use this term in all instances (this is different from 'distance education' and 'remote learning'; avoid ‘online learning’ as not all students use the internet)
less than: use with mass nouns that are continuous and can't be counted (teachers spend less than half their week...; see also 'fewer than')
licence: noun (His driver’s licence was suspended.)
license: verb (The service is licensed for up to 29 children.)
live stream: two words
login (noun or adjective); log in (verb)
M
more than: use instead of 'over' unless you're referring to something happening over time (more than 50 per cent of students; over the past 10 years more than 60 schools...)
O
online: one word
over: use 'more than' unless you're referring to something happening over time (see also 'more than')
P
parents and carers: the preferred term for inclusion (not caregivers)
PDF: upper case (no need to spell out)
pedagogy: avoid in external communication – means the function, work or art of a teacher – teaching practice covers this term.
per cent: use the % symbol with a numeral (The survey had a 30% take-up rate. We saw an increase of 5 percentage points.)
percentage: one word
portal: lower case (staff portal, student portal, parent portal)
practice: noun (It will take staff some time to reach best practice. He opened a medical practice.)
practise: verb (I want to practise my tennis serve.)
program: don't use 'programme' unless it's part of an official name.
pronouns: use the pronouns a person specifies to refer to them. If the person hasn't specified a pronoun, use gender-neutral terms, such as 'you' or 'they'.
punctuation: use minimal punctuation in letters and emails (no comma after greetings such as 'Dear colleagues' or 'Kind regards).
S
screen shot: 2 words; don't use 'screen grab'
sound bite: not sound byte
spacing: only one space after a full stop, not two
special needs: use 'additional learning needs' instead
stakeholders: try to use descriptive words when you're talking about one or two different groups of people
standalone: one word
state school: don't use; say public or government school
students from refugee backgrounds: use instead of 'refugee students'
students from (cultural/ethnic) background: e.g. students from Syrian background; use instead of 'Syrian students'
subheading: one word
T
titles: Mr, Mrs, Ms, Miss, Dr (note: many teachers/educators/bureaucrats have PhDs, so refer to them as Dr) For children under 18, use their first name.
towards: use this instead of ‘toward’ as the latter is American spelling
U
under way: 2 words (The project is under way.)
URL: upper case (no need to spell out)
V
videoconference: one word
W
warm up: verb (Make sure you warm up first.)
warm-up: noun or adjective (Let's do vocal warm-ups. This is a warm-up game.)
web
webpage
website
web 2.0
world wide web
whilst: don't use – while is more approachable and, therefore, most appropriate
wi-fi
X
Xmas: don't use – use Christmas
Z
-ze endings: use -se, for example emphasise, realise; but capsize
Stages of learning
Try to avoid using stages of learning. If you know the students are in Year 2, say Year 2 not Stage 1. Year 5 and 6 is also more descriptive than Stage 3.
If you need to refer to the stage because an education program is specific to the (generally) 2 years of learning denoted by the stage, then stage is upper case. Do not abbreviate. For example: A study of history and geography is mandatory in Stages 4 and 5.
Statistics
| Convention | Examples |
|---|---|
Statistical significance is a specific concept that indicates that a difference between two numbers, or a relationship between two characteristics, has been tested using a statistical technique. Where possible, justify all claims of statistical significance by reporting the relevant p-value in parentheses. Avoid using the word 'significant' unless you are specifically referring to statistical significance. | Brown eyes have a significant effect on student achievement (p=.001). A substantial number of rural and remote schools report having trouble finding teaching staff. |
| Where possible, report on the size of effects as well as their statistical significance. Report the effect size (d), odds-ratio, or regression coefficient, and/or an intuitive explanation of the results. | The effect size of brown eyes is 0.550. This means that students with brown eyes are predicted to score 20 NAPLAN points above students with blue eyes |
When discussing general relationships between variables, justify all claims by reporting either the correlation or the R2 value. Where possible, interpret this for the reader. | The correlation was .5, meaning that 25% of the variation in performance is explained by variation in eye colour. |
| For primary analysis, include a table of descriptive statistics (including sample size, mean/standard deviation, and sample proportions for the key variables), either where you are discussing the data and method, or in the appendix. | A quasi-experimental study of 2,000 Australian students (Bezzina 2010) found that brown eyes were significantly related to student performance. |
In decimals, if the value you are reporting has the potential to exceed 1.0, then use a leading zero. If the value does not have the potential to exceed 1.0 (for example correlations or p-values), then do not report the leading zero. | The effect size of brown eyes is 0.55. The p-value is .01. |
Ensure all estimates are reported to the same number of decimal places and are aligned. Generally this means three decimal places, but you may need to report a greater or lesser amount of detail depending on your variables. Only report as much detail as is necessary — make the tables as simple as possible. | Find examples of tables in the next section. |
If you are reporting on estimates with standard errors, include confidence intervals in all graphs, and report either the confidence interval or the standard error in all tables (either in a separate column or in parentheses). Avoid discussing confidence intervals or standard errors in the main body. Instead, discuss magnitude and statistical significance of coefficients. | Find examples of tables in the next section. |
For literature reviews, mention the characteristics of the study's sample if it may affect the reader's interpretation of the results. These characteristics might include:
Statistics in tables
Use the following examples to help you present results and descriptive statistics.
| Variable | Coefficient | SE | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown eyes | 0.550 | 0.068 | .001 |
| SES | 0.414 | 0.011 | |
| Brown hair | 0.012 | 0.049 | .510 |
| R2 | .249 | ||
| n | 14,645 |
| Variable | Coefficient (SE) |
|---|---|
| Brown eyes | 0.550 (0.068) *** |
| SES | 0.414 (0.011) *** |
| Brown hair | 0.012 (0.049) |
| R2 | .249 |
| n | 14,645 |
Note: *p
| Variable | Categories | n | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector | Government | 217 | 61.47 |
| Sector | Catholic | 73 | 20.68 |
| Sector | Independent | 63 | 17.85 |
| Location | Metropolitan | 241 | 68.27 |
| Location | Not metropolitan | 112 | 31.73 |
| Variable | Categories | Mean | SD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | Continuous | 923 | 425 |
| SES | Continuous (standardised) | 0 | 1 |
| Academic achievement | Continuous (standardised) | 0 | 1 |
Unique cases for news articles in print and online
When writing a press release or blog post, follow this style.
Convention | Examples |
|---|---|
Use present tense and active voice for headlines. Keep headlines to no more than 65 characters. Include keywords. | Secretary announces Education Week theme New roles support student learning |
Use a full sentence for summary text or lead paragraph.Keep summary text to 150 characters including spaces, so you can use it as the teaser text and metadescription as well.Do not repeat the summary text in the main body of the article. | The Secretary, Georgina Harrisson, announces the theme for Education Week 2021. A new team of 50 Literacy and Numeracy Strategy Advisers will start work in NSW public schools in Term 2. |
Use double quotation marks to set apart quotes from direct speech. Use past tense for quotes. Set your final full stop or other punctuation mark outside the quotation mark for partial quotes, but inside the quotation mark for full sentences. | “We want to ensure growing neighbourhoods have the schools that families will need into the future,” Ms Mitchell said. Mr Magriplis noted that the department would “consult with the community about other aspects that will lay foundations for the identity and culture of the school”. |
Use the speaker's full name and title on first reference. Use surname and salutation on subsequent references for adults. If unsure whether someone prefers 'Ms', 'Mrs' or other, ask them. Use first name for children under 18 years old. | First reference: Cherrybrook Technology High School maths teacher Eddie Woo Second reference: Mr Woo First reference: Ada Fang from Sydney Girls High School Second reference: Ada |
Use this specific wording for members of the Secretary and Ministers. Use the full, formal title for uses outside the department's own channels.Use the slightly less formal title for the department's own website. Use the shorthand for subsequent references when it's clear who you're referring to. | Formal: Secretary of the NSW Department of Education, Georgina Harrisson, said… Less formal:Secretary Georgina Harrisson Shorthand: the Secretary Formal: Minister for Education and Early Learning, Sarah Mitchell Less formal: Education and Early Learning Minister Sarah Mitchell Shorthand: the Minister |
See also News guidelines.
Unique cases for print only
Refer to the Australian Government Style Manual. Where the department’s style differs or requires further clarification, we’ve noted it here. For all other cases, print follows the same conventions set out above.
Italics
Only use italics for the full name of an Act (the Education Act 1990). Do not italicise shortened versions, acronyms or regulations.
Use italics to set apart long publication titles, and inverted commas to set apart short publication titles.
Hyperlinks
Where URLs appear in text, style them as normal text. Shorten as much as possible, excluding the http:// or www. unless the link won’t work without them. Use a bit.ly link or similar shortener if you need to shorten a particularly long link.
If a hyperlink appears as part of a full sentence, include the ending punctuation after it, but make sure the punctuation isn't in hyperlink style.
Numbers
Use words for zero and one. Use numerals for 2 and above. Do not start a sentence with a numeral.
Use numerals for a related series of numbers, regardless of the size of those numbers.
Use the % symbol for all percentages including in charts and tables. However, spell out 'percentage point' if that's what you're referring to.
Avoid ending a sentence with a numeral if your publication uses footnotes.
Refer to the Style Manual's Choosing numerals or words for more examples.
Vanity URLs
Vanity URLs is the name for a shortened URL or friendly URL.
Where there is a strong argument for doing so, long URLs can be shortened.
The vanity URL simply redirects to the actual (persistent) URL. The original URL is still the place where the page actually lives.
Where a URL is going to appear in printed materials (i.e. factsheets, brochures, literature, etc.) a vanity URL might look better in print and may be easier to remember.
Example:
Original (persistent) URL – https://education.nsw.gov.au/inside-the-department/great-place-to-work
Shortened (vanity) URL – education.nsw.gov.au/great-place-to-work
