Early Learning Bulletin

Need-to-know | Me mātua mōhio#

Managing emergency incidents#

Recent incidents, like email threats or severe weather, where states of local emergency are declared, have been disruptive and can be worrying for early learning leaders, staff and communities.

You will have established emergency plans in place that have been practised through regular drills. This will help you respond quickly to keep children and staff safe and minimise disruption.

If needed, a quick checklist on page 46 of Planning and preparing for emergencies can help you review your current plans.

Planning and preparing for emergencies [PDF, 1.36 KB]

To support your further understanding about states of emergency and managing threats please go to:

Prepare for an emergency or traumatic incident in early learning

Safety checking changes for core children’s workers#

Changes to the Children’s Act 2014 mean boards and service providers will soon need to consider overseas convictions, as well as offences committed in New Zealand, when safety checking core children’s workers.

From 24 October, all new core children’s workers with an overseas conviction equivalent to a Schedule 2 offence cannot be employed as a core worker, unless they have a core worker exemption. The same will apply to all existing core workers from 24 April 2027, giving time for boards and service providers to check for any relevant overseas convictions and, where necessary, support workers to apply for a core worker exemption.

For core workers who are not certificated teachers, boards and service providers will need to assess any overseas convictions against Schedule 2. The Teaching Council undertakes overseas police checks as part of teacher registration and practising certificate processes.

Guidance on how to meet these requirements will be provided closer to implementation. You can read more at:

Children’s (Requirements for Safety Checks of Children’s Workers) Regulations 2015 – New Zealand Legislation

Specified offences (Schedule 2) – New Zealand Legislation

Core worker exemptions – Te Kāhui Kāhu

Responding to Abuse in Care Legislation Amendment Act 2025 – New Zealand Legislation

Overseas police clearance – Teaching Council of Aotearoa

Transfer to Education Review Office confirmed – 1 September#

We, along with the Education Review Office (ERO), are continuing to prepare for the transfer of early childhood education regulation to ERO, with an Order in Council confirming the transfer will take effect on 1 September.

There are no immediate actions for you to take. Continue to submit your applications to, and work with, your local Ministry offices until 28 August. Depending on the type of application and when it is received, your application may be transferred to ERO. We will let you know if that happens.

For more on how ERO will work with you after the transfer, go to:

ERO’s incoming regulatory responsibilities – Education Review Office

Overseas Relocation Grant changes#

The Overseas Relocation Grant (ORG) settings are changing. From 1 October overseas early childhood teachers relocating to New Zealand will no longer be eligible for the ORG.

Eligible early childhood teachers, have until 5pm, 30 September to apply for the grant.

Early learning centres will still be able to apply for the overseas finder’s fee (subject to meeting eligibility criteria), and the ‘navigator’ service will continue to provide early childhood teachers and centres with 1:1 support through the overseas recruitment process.

More information about applying for an ORG is available at:

Overseas Relocation Grant – Education Workforce

More information about the overseas finder’s fee is available here:

Finder's fee for recruiting teachers from overseas – Education Workforce

Heads-up | He kupu puaki#

New eLearn modules support continuity of learning and transitions to school#

We have published 2 new eLearn modules to highlight continuity of learning in oral language, reading, writing and maths across the pathway from early learning to the first 6 months of school.

The 2 eLearn modules are designed to build understanding, spark interest, and support shifts in practice across the pathway. One module focuses on how oral language, reading and writing develop across Te Whāriki (the Early Childhood Curriculum), Kōwhiti Whakapae, and the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC). The other does the same for maths.

The modules can be found on the Education Learning Management System (LMS), accessed via your regular Education Sector Logon (ESL).

These modules are intended to provide greater support to kaiako | teachers, children and their whānau. An overview of each module and instructions on how to access them are available at:

Maths from early learning to school – Tāhūrangi

Oral language and literacy from early learning to school – Tāhūrangi

Any pātai, email us.

Email: [email protected]