Guidance

Guide to Ofsted's house style

This style guide is intended to help those writing and editing for Ofsted.

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This guidance is available on Ofsted’s internal channels.

Documents

Guide to Ofsted's house style

Guide to Ofsted's house style

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Details

This style guide helps Ofsted staff to be clear and consistent when writing and editing. It also helps us maintain our corporate style and ensures that our messages are easy to understand and effective.

The style guide is for all Ofsted staff to use. We publish it on our GOV.UK website for transparency.

As Ofsted staff, you must use this guide when writing inspection reports, official communications (for example letters and research emails), research reports and any other publications that will be published as PDF/Word attachments on GOV.UK. If you’re writing for social media, a GOV.UK HTML page or blog, you must follow the Government Digital Service style guide.

We also have a glossary of the terms most commonly used in writing for Ofsted. This is published internally and updated regularly.

Updates to this page

Published 4 November 2014
Last updated 11 December 2018 + show all updates
  1. Amended house style guide - updates throughout.

  2. Style guide given minor updates.

  3. Updated style guide.

  4. First published.

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