Words your readers may not know

Some words are not wrong exactly. They are just words we use in meetings that have not made it into plain English yet.

Dawn picks up a few kinds:

• SEND shorthand, like "provision" or "setting", where a plainer word exists ("support", "school")
• jargon and buzzwords, like "holistic" or "touch base", where "be specific" is the only real fix
• Latin, like "e.g." or "per se", written out in English instead
• acronyms used without ever being spelled out on first use
• long, uncommon words that most readers will not recognise

For example:

The panel will determine eligibility in accordance with the statutory criteria.

Dawn flags "determine" (try "decide"), "in accordance with" (try "under") and "statutory" (try "required by law"). It also checks whether EHCP, SEND and the rest have been spelled out anywhere on the page, not just used.

A plainer version:

The panel will decide if your child can get this support under the law.

📝 Look for one piece of SEND shorthand in your own Local Offer. Would a parent who has never dealt with the system before understand it? Share it in the discussion.