Planning and documentation

GMA8 Annual plan

Criteria

An annual plan guides the service's operation.

Documentation required

An annual plan identifying 'who', 'what', and 'when' in relation to key tasks the service intends to undertake each year, and how key tasks will have regard to the Statement of National Education and Learning Priorities (NELP).

Rationale/intent

An annual plan is part of good business practice and will show the Ministry of Education how the service intends to ensure ongoing compliance with all regulatory requirements and criteria.

Guidance

An annual plan guides the service’s operation

The annual plan describes and guides what the service will do in its operation in the next 12 months. It is detailed enough to cover day-to-day events, for example, excursions, staff appraisals or professional development, but is also a schedule of planned strategic opportunities, including for self-review and internal evaluation (GMA6). An annual plan aligns with other aspects of governance, management and administration (GMA) and therefore should be developed at the same time as the annual budget.

GMA6 Self-review and internal evaluation

Key tasks the service intends to undertake

An annual plan can be divided up into each month in the annual cycle, with key tasks grouped by area. The Ministry would expect each task to identify who is responsible for the task, what the task is, and when in the annual cycle the task is scheduled to be undertaken.

The annual plan should be created in consultation with the person responsible so that the teaching and learning needs of children can be met. The aspirations of whānau, community, hapū and iwi should be sought and embedded in the plan, and the plan should at least demonstrate when the service plans to involve these groups in planning.

The Example annual plan is a starting point for how services can arrange key tasks in an annual plan.

In developing the annual plan services can ask:

• what purchases need to be made this year?
• is any major maintenance work required?
• will our staffing needs change?
• is any fundraising required?
• how will the service better engage with their whānau, community, hapū and iwi?
• is there regular opportunity for self-review, internal evaluation, and to set priorities for the year ahead?

National Education and Learning Priorities

Having regard for the National Education and Learning Priorities (NELP) means being able to demonstrate in the documented annual plan how relevant key tasks for example curriculum review or policy review align with priorities 1 to 6 of the NELP. Services will need to ensure those involved in the creation of the annual plan are familiar with priorities 1 to 6 of the NELP.

Services will need to ensure those involved in the creation of the annual plan are familiar with priorities 1 to 6 of the NELP.

There is a dedicated NELP page on Te Whāriki Online with a suite of resources to assist you.

NELP support resources – Te Whāriki Online – Tāhūrangi

Things to consider

The NELP licensing criteria came into effect on 1 January 2022.

Your service should now be collating more in-depth documentation on how you have regard for the NELP relevant to your early learning service in consultation with your parents/whānau.

The criterion requires your service to make the NELP more visible in your practice and planning. The Ministry will assess how the NELP has been woven into your self-review and internal evaluation processes, systems, professional development, and annual plans.

There is a dedicated NELP page on Te Whāriki Online with a suite of resources to assist you.

NELP Support Resources – Tāhūrangi Te Whāriki Online

In addition to the required annual plan, services may also have a strategic plan.

Strategic plans are not a licensing requirement. However, having a plan that looks beyond ‘this year’ to the medium or long term can be very helpful for services. Strategic planning enables a service to determine its direction and what it hopes to achieve in the future.

Strategic plans are best developed in consultation with all stakeholders, for example parents/whānau, management committees/staff.

Strategic plans should be regularly reviewed and modified. Progress could be recorded, perhaps on the bottom or back of the annual plan.

Resources

Ka Hikitia – Ka Hāpaitia

Tau Mai Te Reo

Action Plan for Pacific Education 2020–2030

GMA9 Annual budget

Criteria

An annual budget guides financial expenditure.

Documentation required

An annual budget setting out the service’s estimated revenue and expenses for the year. The budget includes at least:

• staffing costs, including leave entitlements
• professional development costs
• equipment and material costs for the ongoing purchase of new equipment and consumable materials; and
• provision for operational costs (such as electricity, telephone, food purchases and other day-to-day items) and maintenance of the premises as appropriate.

Rationale/intent

The criterion will provide Ministry of Education with evidence of the service's ability to continue to meet regulatory standards and criteria and afford the financial costs of providing a quality licensed ECE service.

Guidance

An annual budget should be prepared once a year in conjunction with the hospital’s Business Analyst or equivalent, and then reviewed every 6 months, or more frequently throughout the financial year.

Hospital managers should consult with and engage the ECE service in any budget development that may impact on the service and senior service staff should be consulted on how MOE funding is used.

While the service falls under the hospital’s budgeting process, there are certain requirements for reporting on how ministry funding is spent. This includes equity funding. See section 12-2 of the ECE funding handbook.

12-2 Types of financial reports

When setting and reviewing the budget, the service can:

• develop criteria for allocating resources
• identify priorities for expenditure
• establish clear procedures for monitoring income and expenditure.

A budget of income and expenditure should be broken down on a monthly basis.

The annual budget should be developed at the same time as the annual plan.

GMA10 Enrolment records

Criteria

Adults providing education and care have access to information held by the hospital for each child participating in the service that includes:

• the child's full name, date of birth, and address
• the name and address of at least 1 parent
• details of how at least 1 parent (or someone nominated by them) can be contacted while the child is participating in the service
• the name of the medical practitioner with overall responsibility for the child's care
• details of any chronic illness/condition that the child has, and of any implications or actions to be followed in relation to that illness/condition
• and any court orders affecting day-to-day care of, or contact with, the child.

Rationale/intent

The maintenance of records provides evidence of the accountability of service providers to the community and government for Crown funding. Participation records are also an indicator of good management and administration practices necessary to ensure the safety of the children attending.

Guidance

Educators will need to ensure they have a system in place to access relevant information held by the hospital for children participating in the service. This information will be on the child’s clinical notes.

Services should be familiar with the obligations of the Privacy Act and understand the 12 information privacy principles dealing with collecting, holding, use and disclosure of personal information. Information on this can be found at the Privacy Commissioner website.

Office of the Privacy Commissioner

See section 3-B-3 of the ECE funding handbook.

3-B-3 Hospital-based services

GMA11 Participation records

Criteria

A record is maintained for children participating in the service. Records are kept for at least 7 years.

Documentation required

An attendance record that meets requirements outlined in the ECE funding handbook for children participating in the service, and children who have attended in the previous 7 years.

Rationale/intent

The maintenance of participation records is an indicator of good management and administration practices and supports the accountability of service providers to the community and government.

Guidance

Participation records for all children who participate in the service are required and these records must be kept for seven years. Records could include ward records or lists and can be either paper based or electronic. Records should be stored in a way that they can’t get corrupted or altered.

The hospital records including the ward list will give the dates and times that a child is admitted and discharged, and this will be signed by the child’s parent/guardian.

Chapter 6 of the ECE funding handbook details what is required in keeping attendance records. Attendance records may be kept in a form to suit the service.

Chapter 6: Recording enrolment, attendance and absence

After 7 years, records can be disposed of. This needs to be done so that unauthorised access to the information is not possible.

Things to consider

Hospital services are entitled to use notional rolls to calculate their Funded Child Hours (FCH). Please contact your regional Ministry Office to discuss or apply to be on a notional roll.

Section 7-4 of the ECE funding handbook gives more information about notional rolls.

7-4 Notional rolls

GMA12 Availability of documentation

Criteria

Required documentation is made available as appropriate to parents and Government officials having right of entry to the service under Section 626 of the Education and Training Act 2020.

Education and Training Act 2020, Section 626 – New Zealand Legislation

Rationale/intent

This criterion ensures records are made available, as required, which supports the accountability of service providers to the community and government.

Guidance

Services need to ensure the required documentation as outlined in the governance, management and administration criteria is made available when required.

Any historic documentation stored off-site needs to be easily retrievable when required.