You must safety check all children’s workers

Children’s workers who are new to your service must be fully safety checked before they start work. Children’s workers employed in their current role since 1 July 2015 must also be safety checked by now. You must do a new safety check for every children’s worker every 3 years.

There are several components to a safety check, and one of these is a police vet. 

You must keep detailed and accurate records to demonstrate that all children’s workers have been safety checked. These records must be retained for at least as long as the person works in your service. You must provide records to the Ministry of Education on request.

Read more about safety checking and police vetting.

Urgent police vetting service for new core children’s workers

This is available if you need to urgently recruit a new core children’s worker to maintain or increase staff ratios in a critical or crisis situation. Criteria and a process for requesting urgent vets apply. You will need to complete all other components of the safety check before the person starts work.

Read more about the urgent police vetting service







 

Police vet component of the safety check for certificated teachers

You don’t need to request police vets for teachers with a current practising certificate. This is because the Teaching Council will only approve a practising certificate once they have obtained and considered a police vet. You can check whether a teacher holds a current practising certificate by searching the Teaching Council’s online register.

Teaching Council’s online register

You will need to complete all other components of the safety check for certificated teachers.

Read more on our website
 

You must police vet contractors and adults living in home-based services

All early learning services must police vet contractors who have, or are likely to have, unsupervised access to children during licensed hours. Home-based services must also police vet adults living in homes where the home-based service is being provided.

You must obtain these police vets directly from NZ Police. You cannot use a vet obtained previously by another organisation, for example a previous employer. 

Read more about your police vetting responsibilities below.

Police vetting for early learning services
 

Canterbury Lockdown Review

Following the tragic events that occurred in Christchurch on Friday 15 March 2019, the Ministry of Education felt it was important to undertake a review of our emergency guidance. We wanted to ensure we were providing the appropriate support and guidance to our schools and early learning services.  

KPMG was engaged to complete a comprehensive review of Canterbury schools and early learning services: 

• their lockdown policies and procedures,  
• to identify any opportunities to improve future national preparedness, and
• how they responded to the lockdown.

Healthy Active Learning 

Healthy Active Learning is a joint Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and Sport New Zealand initiative that will promote and improve healthy eating and physical activity in schools, kura and early learning services across Aotearoa. 

The Ministry of Health is currently drafting ‘Healthy Food and Drink Guidance for Early Learning Services’ as part of this initiative and is seeking your input.

Visit the Ministry of Health and complete the online questionnaire to have your say regarding this initiative. 

Healthy Food and Drink guidance - Early Learning Services - Ministry of Health website
 

New Action Plan and resources for learning support

The Learning Support Action Plan 2019-2025 was launched on 26 July 2019 by Associate Education Minister Tracey Martin.

Minister Martin also announced additional funding, of $29.6 million over four years to respond to population and demand growth for learning support.

You can read more about the Action Plan on the Education Conversation website. 

Learning Support Action Plan - Education Conversation website

You can read Minister Martin’s announcement on the Beehive website. 

New plan and funding to strengthen learning support - Beehive website

First Learning Support Coordinators allocated 

Learning Support Coordinators are a key priority in the new Learning Support Action Plan 2019-25.

On 2 August 2019, Associate Education Minister Tracey Martin announced the allocation of the first tranche of 623 Learning Support Coordinators. These coordinators will support 1052 schools and kura working in 124 learning support clusters.

Learning Support Coordinators will be an integral part of the new approach to providing learning support through the Learning Support Delivery Model. This model is now being implemented across New Zealand. They will also play an important role in connecting with early learning services and kōhanga reo.

You can read more about this on the Education website.

 

180 teachers to receive Learning Support Study Awards for 2020

The Learning Support Study Awards are an opportunity for teachers to train in specialist areas, and develop their skills in working with children with additional learning needs.

The awards are available to teachers in early learning services and schools, as well as scholarships to support people undertaking specific specialist courses. Applications for the study awards close on 30 September 2019. 

Many past study award recipients have gone on to become highly sought after specialist resource teachers and advisors.

The study award package can include paid tuition fees, study leave and contributions towards travel and accommodation for any compulsory block courses.

You can find further information about Learning Support Study Awards and Scholarships on the Education website.

Learning Support Study Awards and Scholarships

Funding for Deaf education and assistive technology

Increased support for Deaf, hard-of-hearing students, and assistive technology was announced on 19 July 2019 by Associate Education Minister Tracey Martin. You can read more on the announcement on the Beehive website.

Increased support for Deaf and hard-of hearing students - Beehive website













 

Prime Minister’s Awards ceremony

The winners of the 2019 Prime Minister's Education Excellence Awards will be announced on Tuesday 10 September. Celebrate with the finalists by watching a livestream of the ceremony that will start at 7:00pm via the Ministry’s Facebook page. Visit the Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards website for more information about this year's finalists. 

Ministry of Education's Facebook page
Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards website


 

Record keeping requirements

All early learning services must meet record keeping requirements as detailed in the ECE Funding Handbook and licensing criteria. 

The Ministry may withhold funding if a services’ records cannot be audited, or are not available for audit. 

The Ministry is authorised to conduct unannounced visits to services to review and take evidence pertaining to any records required to be maintained. For example attendance records and excursion forms.

You can read more about this on our website.

Gifted learner awards

As part of the package of support for gifted education, submissions for awards for gifted learners are now open for the October round. The twice-yearly awards are open for gifted learners in three categories – early learning awards, primary awards and secondary awards.

New support package for gifted learners

The awards include early learners or groups of learners who identify as gifted or have exceptional abilities. Submissions for the October 2019 awards opened on 26 July and close on 30 August. Awards will be made on 31 October. For more information on the awards please visit the TKI website.

Gifted learners - TKI website 
 

Playgroup news from around the country

Please see the Regional News section for stories about playgroups in the following regions:

• Tai Tokerau

Calling for Playgroup story ideas

Do you have a story that you would like to share with other playgroups? The Ministry welcomes contributions from the early learning sector for He Pānui Kōhungahunga – The Early Learning Bulletin. To find out more about how to submit an article, contact us at earlylearning.bulletin@education.govt.nz. 

Education Gazette - early learning stories

The Education Gazette Tukutuku Kōrero aims to inspire teaching and learning, and celebrating success and innovation. Read more at gazette.education.govt.nz. 

 

Contribute to He Pānui Kōhungahunga - The Early Learning Bulletin

The Ministry welcomes contributions from the Early Learning sector for He Pānui Kōhungahunga – the Early Learning Bulletin. To find out more about how to submit content, contact us at earlylearning.bulletin@education.govt.nz.