Front-load headings

Get the important, unique information at the front of the heading, sentence or paragraph.

Statements work better than questions in headings. They let you to put the keyword first.

If people are scanning down a page it's better for them if you put the word they are looking for at the start of the sentence. If you lead with a question, it's impossible to front-load, you have to start with who, what, when, where, why. This takes time for your audience to read.

This example is about support for your child, so put that first.

Example:

❌ My Child has Special Educational Needs, how will they be supported in educational settings?

✅ Support for children with Special Educational Needs in educational settings

You get to the essentials of the information much faster.

Another example:

❌ Can I choose a school for my child?

✅ Choose a school for your child

✅ Choosing a school for your child

These are slightly different things. If the answer to the first question is a straight "No" then maybe it's not a very nice question! "Choose" suggests that it is completely the parent's choice. "Choosing" gives the idea that there may be some factors that are not in the parents control.

Put the unique and most relevant information first; for example, in your service directory, put the name of the page before the name of the organisation.

 ✅ AAC (Alternative and Augmentative Communication) Assessment Team - Cornwall Council

 📝  Edit some headings to front load the most relevant information. Show some examples of "before" and "after" in the discussion.