Outcome 3- Understand school ethos, mission, aims and values
3.1 Explain how the ethos, mission, aims and values of a school may be reflected in working practices.
3.2 Evaluate methods of communicating a school’s ethos, mission, aims and values.
The ethos and mission of a school are often referred to hand-in-hand as the same thing. They are however, different. The mission is based upon what the school intend to achieve in a more physical and academical way, whereas the ethos is more related to the beliefs and feelings of the school. As they are inextricable linked to the holistic teaching approach they become part of most school mission statements as one.

The Ethos of the school should be recognisable when entering the school
For example, the incorporation in religious education of a variety of different religions and reference to these throughout the other curriculum subjects.
Everyone in a school community contributes to establishing the ethos. The ethos in individual classrooms will both reflect the ethos in the school as a whole and have an impact on it. It is the responsibility of teachers to understand and promote the school ethos and to help their pupils to do the same.
The ways in which the children are reminded of the ethos and mission during the day are through the members of staff setting a good example. Also, if a child is displaying behaviour which is inappropriate or not in keeping with the ethos, they will be prompted by being given a verbal reminder of the correct behaviour, for example, “we don’t call names, do we?”

The children in my setting also set for themselves an aim for their class. Each class decides it’s own through group discussion, in the context of the wider school ethos, with some input from the class teacher. This acts as a reminder of the wider school ethos and mission statement but also encourages the children to respect and follow the aims as they feel more ownership of them.
There are many other ways in which the school ethos and mission statement are communicated, not only to the children but to the staff and parents of the school also. Some of these are:- * In the school prospectus. * On the wall in the entrance. * As part of