House style guidelines

Many Scottish educational initiatives have their own terminology and style standards, which are outlined in this section.

• Glow
• Curriculum for Excellence
• Assessment is for Learning
• Scottish Learning Festival
• 5-14 Curriculum
• National Qualifications
• Qualifications 

Glow

Note the use of capitals in the following Glow terms:

• Glow Meet

• Glow Chat

• Video Streaming

• Secure File Transfer

• Web Hosting

• Glow Mentors

• Key Contacts

Other terms include:

• Glow components

• datacentre (one word)

• phase 2 pilot

• log on (verb)

• logon (noun)

• web part

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Curriculum for Excellence

The term Curriculum for Excellence should be used when referring to the programme in all communication material. It should be spelt out in full and never abbreviated.

However, when referring to publication titles, use ‘A Curriculum for Excellence’ if this was the term used in the original publication title.

The principles for curriculum design are:

• challenge and enjoyment (not ‘challenges and enjoyment’ as named in the original 'A Curriculum for Excellence' publication)

• breadth

• progression

• depth

• personalisation and choice

• coherence

• relevance.

Note use of ‘for’ in ‘principles for (not of) curriculum design’.

The purposes of the curriculum are to provide the structure and support in learning which will enable children and young people to develop the four capacities, and to complement other contributions to learning.

The four capacities are:

• successful learners

• confident individuals

• responsible citizens

• effective contributors.

You should always refer to the four capacities rather than the four purposes.

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Assessment is for Learning

The correct form of the abbreviation is AifL.

For particular terms used in Assessment is for Learning, please refer to the AifL glossary.

Scottish Learning Festival

When referring to the event in written text, the term ‘The Scottish Learning Festival’ (when starting a sentence) or ‘the Scottish Learning Festival’ (if in the middle of a sentence), followed by the appropriate year, should always be used. Do not use any abbreviation of this term.

5-14 Curriculum

The general principle is to use lower case except where a proper name is used, such as a course, programme or ‘initiative’ title.

For example:

• subjects should be in lower case except for proper names, eg English, French, geography, art and design

• course titles should be capitalised (eg Standard Grade History, Advanced Higher Mathematics)

• department titles should be capitalised (eg the Geography Department)

National Qualifications

When referring to specific courses or units, use initial capital letters on the key words:

• Standard Grade Business Management

• Access 2 Art and Design

• Intermediate 2 Practical Cooker

• Higher Care

• Advanced Higher Craft and Design

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Qualifications

When referring to qualifications in general use initial capitals:

• Standard Grade

• National Qualifications

• Access

• Intermediate

• Higher

• Advanced Higher

However, do not use initial capitals for ‘core skills’.

Use ‘and’ rather than an ampersand (&) in subject names like ‘Art and Design’ and 'Health and Wellbeing’.

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