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Welcome to the Office of Early Childhood Education
National and public adviser on ECE, the OECE is a sector body representing teachers and all types of licensed services driving safer, higher‑quality education 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
View the Code of Conduct for ECE Services
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Teacher Member Posts
Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques to Help Children Keep Healthy
Teaching Mindfulness to Young Children. by Anna Whitehead.
Mindfulness can be described as the process of being aware.
Sensations, thoughts or feelings are simply experienced for what they are, without judgment.
Why would you be interested as a parent or teacher in mindfulness?
In the past we developed the idea that b
Using Sign Language in Our Early Childhood Teaching
NZ Sign Language in Early Childhood Education and in our Teaching.
By Rachel Pratt.
NZ Sign Language (NZSL) is one of the three official languages of NZ and all ECE services and teachers need a basic understanding of it. Hearing children can become more understanding of differences and Deaf children can experience an environment where they feel welcome and supported.
Why should I teach it when there are no children with hearing impairments?
Deaf children who require visual communication represent about 0.1 percent of the population of children who are involved in early childhood education. For this reason, early childhood teachers and educators may not encounter many Deaf children and question the importance of using NZSL in their service.
CV Writing and Making a Good Job Application
Applying for an Early Childhood Job.
Having a great application is important for getting the job you want.
Your initial application may be the only chance you get to impress your potential employer, especially if they do not interview every single person who applies. This means you cannot leave things out of your application assuming you w
Museum Visit
Museum visit with children.
You might think museums are stuffy. But, they can be interesting even for younger children particularly if there are hands-on activities.
A trip to the museum can be a great springboard for learning. It can provide inspiration and play ideas for many weeks following.
Here are some suggestions
Service Provider Member Posts
The ECE Safety Checklist – Daily Hazard and Safety Checklist
The ECE Safety Checklist – A Daily Hazard and Safety Checklist for Every ECE Service. Checklist items include regulation requirements and reflect learnings from tragic incidents that have happened in ECE.
How to Use the Checklist
This checklist is to assist in conducting and recording the daily inspection.
It is more thorough and detaile
Staff Meetings – Agenda and How to Conduct a Meeting
Staff meetings can work really well with the right Agenda and planning. Here’s how to achieve and cover what is important and make sure no meeting is a waste of valuable time.
Scroll to near the end of this page for a sample Agenda and sample planning docs.
There is no specific regulatory requirement to hold staff meetings. But services fi
Raising Concerns – Complaints Policy
Does your early childhood service have a well-written, well thought-out complaints policy? Getting it right is essential to support people to raise their concerns and avoid situations escalating and further problems.
Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa. Let us keep close together, not far apart
Regulatory requirements and Te Whāriki
Toddler Left in Car Seat Died
Unexplained absence.
A 16-month-old was found dead after his mum went to work, accidentally leaving him sleeping in his car seat in her car parked at work. She had not realised he was still in the car and had forgotten to drop him at the early childhood centre. Tragically the toddler died from heatstroke. There can be other situations t
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Field-Based Early Childhood Student Teachers – Who Are They and What Challenges Do They Face?
This research examines the demographic characteristics of students who choose to do field-based early childhood education teacher training and identifies challenges they face in relation to gender, career choice and academic expectations. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
Satisfaction with Autism NZ’s early support programme, EarlySteps
Reporting on a practitioner-led evaluation of an autism specific NZ early support (formerly known as ‘early intervention) programme, the findings, and recommendations. Login to view the full article. Or you can order a pdf copy of the article, go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
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
Cultural Components of Early Childhood Teacher Education in Aotearoa New Zealand
Research on the cultural components of early childhood teacher education. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
What We Do
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