CONTENTSOn this page
Effective 20 April 2026, the numbering of the curriculum criteria has changed. There have been no changes to the curriculum criteria wording or associated guidance.
Criterion C302#
The service curriculum is informed by assessment, planning, and evaluation (documented and undocumented) that demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning, their interests, whānau, and life contexts.
Curriculum criteria documentation required
Guidance#
A service curriculum that is informed by assessment, planning, and evaluation will notice, recognise and respond to the contributions made to the programme by the children, their families, staff, and community. Experiences planned to support and enhance children’s learning will be purposeful and meaningful to them.
A service will develop a process to assist them to meet this criterion taking into consideration the beliefs, values, knowledge, and aspirations of children, their families, staff, and community. To aid transitions, a hospital-based process is likely to include interaction with the early childhood service that the child attends when they are not in hospital.
Documentation and evidence gathered during this process may take a variety of forms to suit the service’s operation and can include:
- notes made by medical staff
- observations and learning stories
- examples of children’s work
- posters and wall displays
- recorded discussions
- and policies and procedures.
Children, their families, staff (including medical staff), and community should all contribute to this process. How information is gathered is not important – how it is used to inform the service curriculum and educator practice is important.
The learning needs of children in hospital-based settings are likely to change rapidly and the educator needs to be particularly sensitive and responsive to this change.
Further information about Planning, Evaluation and Assessment can be found on pages 63 to 65 of Te Whāriki.
