Licensing criteria for home-based ECE services

Section 10 of the Education and Training Act 2020(external link) defines home-based ECE services as the provision of education or care, for gain or reward, to children who are under the age of 5 years, or who are aged 5 years but not enrolled at school, in:

  • the children’s own home; or
  • the home of the person providing the education or care; or
  • any other home nominated by a parent of the children.

These services are licensed in accordance with the Education and Training Act 2020 under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008(external link), which prescribe minimum standards that each licensed service must meet. Licensing criteria are used to assess how the services meet the minimum standards required by the regulations.

For each criterion there is guidance to help services meet the required standards.

The publication of the criteria on its own can be downloaded as a PDF [PDF, 1.3 MB] and printed.

The licensing criteria were last updated in September 2022.

GMA7 Annual plan

  • Criteria

    • Criteria

      Governance Management and Administration criterion 7

      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

    • Guidance

      The following is a starting point to show how services can meet the requirement. Services may choose to use other approaches better suited to their needs as long as they comply with the criteria.

      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.

      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 Management Plan [DOC, 47 KB] 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?

      Services have regard for the National Education and Learning Priorities (the NELP)

      Having regard for the NELP(external link) means being able to demonstrate in the documented annual plan how relevant key tasks e.g. curriculum review or policy review align with priorities 1-6 of the NELP. Services will need to ensure those involved in the creation of the annual plan are familiar with priorities 1-6 of the NELP.

  • Things to consider