diff --git a/.github/actions/lint-prose/action.yaml b/.github/actions/check-english-usage/action.yaml
similarity index 73%
rename from .github/actions/lint-prose/action.yaml
rename to .github/actions/check-english-usage/action.yaml
index ac0d3e81..9953bcc7 100644
--- a/.github/actions/lint-prose/action.yaml
+++ b/.github/actions/check-english-usage/action.yaml
@@ -6,4 +6,5 @@ runs:
     - name: "Check English usage"
       shell: bash
       run: |
+        export BRANCH_NAME=origin/${{ github.event.repository.default_branch }}
         check=branch ./scripts/githooks/check-english-usage.sh
diff --git a/.github/workflows/stage-1-commit.yaml b/.github/workflows/stage-1-commit.yaml
index d7679788..a516b786 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/stage-1-commit.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/stage-1-commit.yaml
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: "Check file format"
         uses: ./.github/actions/check-file-format
   check-markdown-format:
-    name: "Check markdown format"
+    name: "Check Markdown format"
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 2
     steps:
@@ -64,9 +64,9 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0 # Full history is needed to compare branches
-      - name: "Check markdown format"
+      - name: "Check Markdown format"
         uses: ./.github/actions/check-markdown-format
-  lint-prose:
+  check-english-usage:
     name: "Check English usage"
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 2
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0 # Full history is needed to compare branches
       - name: "Check English usage"
-        uses: ./.github/actions/lint-prose
+        uses: ./.github/actions/check-english-usage
   lint-terraform:
     name: "Lint Terraform"
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/.tool-versions b/.tool-versions
index 2faaa205..a69438db 100644
--- a/.tool-versions
+++ b/.tool-versions
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ pre-commit 3.4.0
 # docker/ghcr.io/nhs-england-tools/github-runner-image 20230909-321fd1e-rt@sha256:ce4fd6035dc450a50d3cbafb4986d60e77cb49a71ab60a053bb1b9518139a646 # SEE: https://github.com/nhs-england-tools/github-runner-image/pkgs/container/github-runner-image
 # docker/hadolint/hadolint 2.12.0-alpine@sha256:7dba9a9f1a0350f6d021fb2f6f88900998a4fb0aaf8e4330aa8c38544f04db42 # SEE: https://hub.docker.com/r/hadolint/hadolint/tags
 # docker/hashicorp/terraform 1.5.6@sha256:180a7efa983386a27b43657ed610e9deed9e6c3848d54f9ea9b6cb8a5c8c25f5 # SEE: https://hub.docker.com/r/hashicorp/terraform/tags
+# docker/jdkato/vale v2.29.7@sha256:5ccfac574231b006284513ac3e4e9f38833989d83f2a68db149932c09de85149 # SEE: https://hub.docker.com/r/jdkato/vale/tags
 # docker/koalaman/shellcheck latest@sha256:e40388688bae0fcffdddb7e4dea49b900c18933b452add0930654b2dea3e7d5c # SEE: https://hub.docker.com/r/koalaman/shellcheck/tags
 # docker/mstruebing/editorconfig-checker 2.7.1@sha256:dd3ca9ea50ef4518efe9be018d669ef9cf937f6bb5cfe2ef84ff2a620b5ddc24 # SEE: https://hub.docker.com/r/mstruebing/editorconfig-checker/tags
 # docker/sonarsource/sonar-scanner-cli 5.0.1@sha256:494ecc3b5b1ee1625bd377b3905c4284e4f0cc155cff397805a244dee1c7d575 # SEE: https://hub.docker.com/r/sonarsource/sonar-scanner-cli/tags
diff --git a/scripts/config/pre-commit.yaml b/scripts/config/pre-commit.yaml
index 36ee902e..37ca6375 100644
--- a/scripts/config/pre-commit.yaml
+++ b/scripts/config/pre-commit.yaml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ repos:
 - repo: local
   hooks:
   - id: scan-secrets
-    name: Scan Secrets
+    name: Scan secrets
     entry: ./scripts/githooks/scan-secrets.sh
     args: ["check=staged-changes"]
     language: script
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ repos:
 - repo: local
   hooks:
   - id: check-file-format
-    name: Check File Format
+    name: Check file format
     entry: ./scripts/githooks/check-file-format.sh
     args: ["check=staged-changes"]
     language: script
@@ -18,15 +18,23 @@ repos:
 - repo: local
   hooks:
   - id: check-markdown-format
-    name: Check Markdown Format
+    name: Check Markdown format
     entry: ./scripts/githooks/check-markdown-format.sh
     args: ["check=staged-changes"]
     language: script
     pass_filenames: false
 - repo: local
   hooks:
-  - id: check-terraform-format
-    name: Check Terraform Format
+  - id: check-english-usage
+    name: Check English usage
+    entry: ./scripts/githooks/check-english-usage.sh
+    args: ["check=staged-changes"]
+    language: script
+    pass_filenames: false
+- repo: local
+  hooks:
+  - id: lint-terraform
+    name: Lint Terraform
     entry: ./scripts/githooks/check-terraform-format.sh
     language: script
     pass_filenames: false
diff --git a/scripts/githooks/check-english-usage.sh b/scripts/githooks/check-english-usage.sh
index 995833f0..b3942deb 100755
--- a/scripts/githooks/check-english-usage.sh
+++ b/scripts/githooks/check-english-usage.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-set -e
+# WARNING: Please, DO NOT edit this file! It is maintained in the Repository Template (https://github.com/nhs-england-tools/repository-template). Raise a PR instead.
+
+set -euo pipefail
 
 # Git hook to check prose style
 #
@@ -19,15 +21,12 @@ set -e
 #   check=staged-changes: check only files staged for commit.
 #   check=working-tree-changes: check modified, unstaged files. This is the default.
 #   check=branch: check for all changes since branching from $BRANCH_NAME
-# ==============================================================================
-
-image_version=v2.29.0@sha256:d4647754ea0d051d574bafe79edccaaa67f25a4c227b890a55dd83a117278590
 
 # ==============================================================================
 
 function main() {
 
-  cd $(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)
+  cd "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)"
 
   check=${check:-working-tree-changes}
   case $check in
@@ -48,18 +47,49 @@ function main() {
       ;;
   esac
 
+  if command -v vale > /dev/null 2>&1 && ! is-arg-true "${FORCE_USE_DOCKER:-false}"; then
+    filter="$filter" run-vale-natively
+  else
+    filter="$filter" run-vale-in-docker
+  fi
+}
+
+# Run Vale natively.
+# Arguments (provided as environment variables):
+#   filter=[git command to filter the files to check]
+function run-vale-natively() {
+
+  # shellcheck disable=SC2046
+  vale \
+    --config "$PWD/scripts/config/vale/vale.ini" \
+    $($filter)
+}
+
+# Run Vale in a Docker container.
+# Arguments (provided as environment variables):
+#   filter=[git command to filter the files to check]
+function run-vale-in-docker() {
+
+  # shellcheck disable=SC1091
+  source ./scripts/docker/docker.lib.sh
+
+  # shellcheck disable=SC2155
+  local image=$(name=jdkato/vale docker-get-image-version-and-pull)
   # We use /dev/null here to stop `vale` from complaining that it's
   # not been called correctly if the $filter happens to return an
-  # empty list.  As long as there's a filename, even if it's one that
+  # empty list. As long as there's a filename, even if it's one that
   # will be ignored, `vale` is happy.
+  # shellcheck disable=SC2046,SC2086
   docker run --rm --platform linux/amd64 \
-    --volume $PWD:/workdir \
+    --volume "$PWD:/workdir" \
     --workdir /workdir \
-    jdkato/vale:$image_version \
-      --config scripts/config/vale/vale.ini \
+    "$image" \
+      --config /workdir/scripts/config/vale/vale.ini \
       $($filter) /dev/null
 }
 
+# ==============================================================================
+
 function is-arg-true() {
 
   if [[ "$1" =~ ^(true|yes|y|on|1|TRUE|YES|Y|ON)$ ]]; then
@@ -71,8 +101,8 @@ function is-arg-true() {
 
 # ==============================================================================
 
-is-arg-true "$VERBOSE" && set -x
+is-arg-true "${VERBOSE:-false}" && set -x
 
-main $*
+main "$@"
 
 exit 0
diff --git a/scripts/githooks/check-file-format.sh b/scripts/githooks/check-file-format.sh
index fd466adb..d7c94747 100755
--- a/scripts/githooks/check-file-format.sh
+++ b/scripts/githooks/check-file-format.sh
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ function main() {
 # Run editorconfig natively.
 # Arguments (provided as environment variables):
 #   dry_run_opt=[dry run option]
-#   filter=[filter for files to check]
+#   filter=[git command to filter the files to check]
 function run-editorconfig-natively() {
 
   # shellcheck disable=SC2046,SC2086
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ function run-editorconfig-natively() {
 # Run editorconfig in a Docker container.
 # Arguments (provided as environment variables):
 #   dry_run_opt=[dry run option]
-#   filter=[filter for files to check]
+#   filter=[git command to filter the files to check]
 function run-editorconfig-in-docker() {
 
   # shellcheck disable=SC1091