News

On a mission

Getting the whole team involved in formulating a setting's policy and practice can enhance their skills and establish a sense of ownership, says Laura Henry in a new series Mission statement

Mission statement

Every setting should have a mission statement or statement of principles, which provides the foundation for its policies and procedures.

Your mission statement should explain who your organisation is, what you stand for, what you do and how you do it. The best mission statements are brief and get straight to the point.

How are policies and procedures different?

Policies reflect the rules governing the implementation of the setting's processes. Most policies are developed to reflect local, national and international government requirements. For instance, they need to cover health and safety at work and equal opportunities.

Procedures, however, represent an implementation of the policy. In other words, procedures are the actions that staff should take. For example, the actions to be taken in the case of an accident or a child protection incident. Therefore, in terms of good practice, policies and procedures should be separate documents.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included

  • Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month

  • Unlimited access to news and opinion

  • Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here