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Welcome to the Office of Early Childhood Education
The OECE is a national organisation for the ECE sector and public adviser, championing high-quality education and care for every child
View our positions
- Provides membership support to ECE services, teachers, researchers, and community partners
- Actively contributes to sector analysis, research, and policy development
- Advances evidence-based best practices that prioritise children’s interests and wellbeing
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Education Bulletin and Sector Notices
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Teacher Member Posts
Colouring-in Books and Drawing Templates
Colouring-in Books in ECE.
Back in the 80s and 90s the use of colouring-in books was hotly debated amongst early childhood professionals and a consensus developed that drawing templates and colouring-in books were bad for children.
But today, colouring-in books for adults have become fashionable. Such books are promoted as supporting mind
Cooking with Children – Using a Slow Cooker
Using a Slow Cooker for Teaching Children about Cooking and Preparing Kai
As a responsible teacher or educator you role model and pass on good nutritional dietary habits… don’t you? Well…, in front of the children anyway! But does this mean leaving a wonderful learning opportunity consigned to the pantry? It probably mean
Parent-Child Attachment
Supporting Parent-Child Attachment.
A strong attachment with an adult is as essential to a child as air, food and water. Healthy child development is unlikely without it.
The Ministry of Health reports that mental health and behavioural problems are rising across all socio-economic groups.
What effect could stronger pa
Pet Lamb – What You Need to Know
TITLE: Pet Lamb – fostering agreements, day-to-care care, benefits for children’s play and learning, and regulatory requirements
Some lambs are sadly orphaned at birth or there may be another reason why a farmer may decide the lamb would be better off to be hand-reared (such as in the case of multiple births and the mum having only one teat).
Your service could offer to help to hand-rear the lamb.
A lamb gives children a new responsibility.
A lamb is a new playmate and a friend that will love them unconditionally.
A lamb is gentle. It delights in playing but also at times needs to stop and drink or sit down and rest.
This is a pet that is dependent on care for survival and that will teach children to nurture.
Introducing a pet lamb to your early childhood service is an excellent way to naturally support children to spend more time outdoors running, jumping and skipping and enjoying the spring weather.
Below we cover aspects of
– How to get a lamb
– Agreements with the farmer and with your children for fostering the lamb
– Preparing for the lamb and what you need
Service Provider Member Posts
Trusted Woman ECE Centre Teacher Engaged in Sexual Exploitation of Children
Indecent pictures of children, including bathroom pics, were taken by teacher “K” at her early childhood centre, using her mobile phone and shared online.
Parents at the UK early childhood centre she worked at described her as bubbly, friendly, and competent. She was a married woman and mother, and the kind of person you would assume you could trust with your child.
The abuse went unnoticed at the centre and only an accidental discovery by a businessman, whose partner stumbled across the images on a computer, brought the abuse to light resulting in prosecution.
What can we learn from this case of a female teacher sexually abusing children? We learn that:
There is a danger for children of allowing camera phones or technology in centres that could transmit images of them.
It is commonly believed that women do not engage in paedophilia and that only men abuse young children – however there is possible under-reporting of women who abuse young children.
This article looks at issues of centre governance and management that allowed this to happen to identify how governance and management can be improved. It looks also at the importance of staff/teacher supervision and the role of students on teaching practice/placement.
The story as reported by the Plymouth Safeguard Children Board is summarised below highlighting the main concerns about the system and the centre itself including staff relationships, staff and child supervision, policies, and structure.
Keep children safe in your ECE service
1. Make sure your service meets the National Code for Early Childhood Service Conduct
Section 2(d) of the Code states: “No person while providing care and education will have a personal electronic device that can take photos or videos unless the device is authorised for essential purposes (such as for communication at a time of emergency). Only service-issued electronic devices are used when taking images or videos of children. The appropriate use of service-issued electronic devices and storing of images and videos of children is clearly outlined in our policies and procedures.”
2. Have an effective complaints policy and whistle-blowing procedures at your service, for any staff or parent to report their concerns safely (anonymously and without fear)
3. Ensure your service has a robust Child Protection Policy – learn more and review and improve your current policy.
4. Have safe recruitment procedures, including using values-based interviewing techniques and questions when interviewing job applicants.
Keep reading below to learn more about what happened at the centre.
The Centre is called “Z” and the teacher is “K”.
Electrical Testing
The importance of electrical testing.
Is your early childhood education service compliant for electrical safety? It needs to be:
Failure of electrical wiring or appliances is one of the most common causes of house and building fires – which could be devastating financially for your service, personally for everyone affected, and eve
Internal Evaluation and How to Please ERO
Internal Evaluation and the Education Review Office.
Ongoing reflection and review of practice has always been a priority for ECE teachers to ensure that they are the best teachers they can be and are providing best outcomes for children.
From their initial teacher registration, teachers are taught to reflect on their practice and this is
Conflicts of Interest
Conflict of Interest.
A conflict of interest is when you, someone you are close to, employed by, or are personally friendly with may stand to benefit or gain in some way from a decision made at a meeting or within the service.
The board/committee, management, families and all involved in the early childhood service need to be confident that
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Supported Playgroup Located on School Grounds: Developing Family Relationships Within a School Environment to Support Children’s Transition to School
A supported playgroup located on school grounds: Developing family relationships within a school environment to support children’s transition to school.
Marianne Knaus and Judy Warren. Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia.
Full reference: Knaus, M. & Warren, J. (2015). A supported playgroup located on school grounds: Develop
Increasing Early Childhood Education Enrolment and Attendance Rates
Report on a project to increase child enrolment and attendance rates at early childhood centres in socio-economically deprived areas of NZ. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
Advanced Empathy in the Early Years – A Risky Strength?
Research showing an emotional cost to practitioners who work in early childcare and education and difficulties of finding a work-life balance. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
Being Agreeable? A Critical Examination of Communication Among IP Groups in Early Intervention
In New Zealand each child with an inclusive early intervention programme is supported by a group of adults: the child’s parent(s), teachers, early intervention specialists, and education support worker (teacher-aide). The group’s joint task is to prepare an individual plan (IP) for the child to follow in their regular early childhood education
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