One of the most important outcomes of any educational institution is to provide a quality learning experience for its students. In order to do this, the institution must have its own aims and values.
Schools and colleges have aims, which are statements about what they want to achieve. The aim may be about the quality of teaching, or it may be about pupils’ progress, for example. It is linked to the values of the school, which are statements about how this aim will be achieved.
The aims and values should be developed by staff together, with their pupils and their parents/carers. When developing your school’s aims and values, ask yourself: What do we want to achieve? What kind of school do we want this to be? How can these ambitions be put into practice?
The aims and values of a college or school help to articulate its philosophy, define its goals, create a cohesive community, instill a sense of pride in the institution, attract and retain students, staff and resources, ensure quality of the educational experience.
They help to ensure the quality of the educational experience by providing students with an understanding of what they can expect from their teachers, other staff and the school itself. The aims and values provide guidance on how we should behave towards each other as well as encouraging us to set high standards for ourselves.
The real value of a university is not found in its buildings or its endowment, but in the minds of its students and faculty.
