Your vision and mission

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Careers in Childcare
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Setting Up A Nursery
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Your vision and mission

Setting the vision and mission of your early years setting is a crucial step in defining your identity, values and goals as an educational provider. A vision statement describes your aspirations and purpose, while a mission statement outlines the specific actions and strategies you will use to achieve them. Together, they form a clear and coherent direction for your staff, parents, children and stakeholders.

A good vision and mission statement should be concise, memorable, inspiring and realistic. It should reflect the unique characteristics and strengths of your setting, as well as the needs and expectations of your community. It should also align with the national standards and frameworks for early years education, such as the Early years foundation stage statutory framework in England or the National minimum standards for regulated childcare in Wales.

To create your vision and mission statement, you can follow these steps:

Draft your vision and mission statement based on the findings. You can use templates, examples or best practices from other settings to guide you, but make sure to adapt them to your own context and situation.

Gather input from your staff, parents, children and other relevant parties. You can use surveys, interviews, focus groups or workshops to collect their views and feedback.

Analyse the data and identify the common themes, values and priorities that emerge. You can use tools such as SWOT analysis, PESTLE analysis or SMART goals to help you organise and evaluate the information.

Review and refine your vision and mission statement with your stakeholders. You can use feedback forms, consultations or presentations to solicit their opinions and suggestions. Make sure to address any concerns or questions they may have.

Communicate and implement your vision and mission statement across your setting. You can use posters, newsletters, websites or social media to share your vision and mission with your audience. You can also use training, induction or appraisal sessions to embed them into your policies, practices and culture.