Recommended
CONTENTSOn this page
Personnel policy
To read upfront:
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, regulation 47 – New Zealand Legislation
GMA7 Self-review and internal evaluation
Employment New Zealand has information to support human resource management that service providers may find useful. This includes templates for letters to appoint staff, fact sheets, employment agreement guides and help calculating parental leave for your employed staff. There is also an 'ask a question' feature.
Inland Revenue is a good starting point for finding out about obligations and entitlements concerning tax.
The Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand provides information about the process of teacher registration.
Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand
Te Kāhui Tika Tangata | Human Rights Commission provides information about equal opportunities, including a discrimination and complaints guide.
Te Kāhui Tika Tangata | Human Rights Commission
The New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) is a union that negotiates collective employment agreements on behalf of many early childhood teachers. As a condition of receiving government funding, teachers must be paid at a rate that is at least as high as the lowest step on NZEI's ‘consenting parties' collective agreement’.
Settling and transition policy
Transitions to, within and from a service can be stressful times for children and their families. To make these transitions positive and successful experiences, it is important that a teaching team has developed policy and procedures that are based on knowledge of children, and current educational theory and practice. These resources and further reading may assist with development of the policy and practice.
Te Whāriki: He Whāriki Mātauranga mō ngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa – early childhood education curriculum (especially strands 1 and 2).
Te Whāriki Early Childhood Curriculum – Tāhūrangi
Strand 1: Mana atua | Wellbeing – Tāhūrangi
Strand 2: Mana Whenua | Belonging – Tāhūrangi
Kei Tua o te Pae: Assessment for Learning – early childhood exemplars.
Health and safety policy
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, regulation 46 – New Zealand Legislation
The Ministry of Health's website has a resource called Ngā Kupu Oranga Healthy Messages. It is a health and safety resource for early childhood services and is available to download.
Ngā Kupu Oranga Healthy Messages – Ministry of Health
Your local health protection officer (HPO) will be able to give you useful information that complements Ngā Kupu Oranga.
National Public Health Service – Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
In general, HPOs make a report to the Ministry of Education advising whether or not they consider an ECE service to be compliant. The Ministry of Education makes the final decision about whether or not to grant a licence.
Health New Zealand's Health Information and Services website also has up-to-date information on immunisation.
Immunisations – Health Information and Services
The Ministry of Civil Defence website has a resource called Early Childhood Education (ECE) services emergency planning guidance.
Early Childhood Education (ECE) services emergency planning guidance – Civil Defence
The WorkSafe website has a range of resources to help, including 'tools' such as self-assessment sheets for health and safety matters and forms you can use, through to information about managing hazards for small businesses. Look under 'The Toolshed', then ’Tools’.
The Fire and Emergency New Zealand website has a range of information about fire safety and schemes.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand
Legislation can be accessed on the New Zealand Legislation website.
Curriculum assessment and planning policy
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, regulation 43 – New Zealand Legislation
Child protection policy
Regulation 46(1)(a) of the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 requires that services take all reasonable steps to promote the good health and safety of children enrolled in the service. The Children's Act 2014 and the licensing criterion HS31 also require all centre-based services to have a child protection policy.
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, regulation 46 – New Zealand Legislation
Children's Act 2014 – New Zealand Legislation
Read more about these requirements and the Ministry’s accompanying guidance in the centre-based licensing criteria and guidance.
Communication policy
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, regulation 47, and the Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Services, GMA1 to GMA3, set out the minimum standard of communication that should be communicated to parents and how they can access information about their child.
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, regulation 47 – New Zealand Legislation
Positive guidance policy
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, regulation 43 – New Zealand Legislation
The He Māpuna te Tamaiti publication is also useful.
Complaints policy
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, regulation 47, and the Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Services, criterion GMA1, require services to inform parents of the procedure to follow if they wish to complain about non-compliance with the regulations or criteria.
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, regulation 47 – New Zealand Legislation
You can find information about the complaints process for parents and whānau on the Ministry of Education website.
Financial policies
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, regulation 47 – New Zealand Legislation
GMA3 Information provided to parents
The Working for Families websites have information about assistance families can get with childcare costs. Assistance is provided to families through Work and Income and Inland Revenue.
Working for Families – Work and Income
Working for Families – Inland Revenue
Inland Revenue is a good starting point for finding out about obligations and entitlements concerning tax. You can also download tax forms that staff will need to complete.
Business.govt.nz provides information about its free national business information and referral service for small and medium businesses.
CommunityNet Aotearoa is a practical resource to help organisations get started and to develop good practice in the voluntary sector environment.
