PLEASE SHARE THIS MAGAZINE! If you know anyone who would like to read the interesting and informative articles in Swings & Roundabouts, pass it on! ISSN 1179-688X (Print) • ISSN 1179-7517 (Online) PO Box 5649, Lambton Quay, Wellington 6145 AUTUMN 2024 The Forest ECE: Play based learning in action ECC CEO: Does your owner have the courage to continue? - what we grapple with thanks to the ongoing teacher shortage and Pay Parity funding issues Embracing the Modern Montessori Approach – centre profile 2024 ECC Conference: Success through wellbeing The biggest and brightest conference in the ECE sector - join more than 300 ECE professionals to learn, connect and inspire over two days. Earlybird registrations end 25 March 2024.
EARLY CHILDHOOD, SCHOOLS & PUBLIC We design and build natural outdoor spaces (and fun!) Creating magic nationwide! Renovations and New Builds IMAGINATION
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Inside this issue... Editor Trudi Sutcliffe Editorial Enquiries publications@ecc.org.nz Advertising Enquiries Catherine Norton Waterford Press Ltd PO Box 37346, Christchurch, New Zealand. Phone: 03 983 5526 Email: catherine@waterfordpress.co.nz www.waterfordpress.co.nz Production Co-ordinator Luke Lynch Content Co-ordinator Lyn Barlow Graphic Designers Liki Udam Subscription Enquiries Early Childhood Council PO Box 5649, Lambton Quay, Wellington 6145 Phone: 0800 742 742 Email: admin@ecc.org.nz www.ecc.org.nz DISCLAIMER: A cancellation fee of 25% may be charged if the booking is cancelled after the sales cut off date. Your Media Consultant will be able to provide that information if you are not aware of it. Applications for advertising in Swings & Roundabouts will be considered from the following: 1) Early childhood centres and/or their associated management groups that are members of the Early Childhood Council. 2) Trade and service suppliers to the early childhood industry. 3) Government and not-for-profit organisations. Please note: Some industries may be restricted due to exclusive arrangements with the Early Childhood Council. Please note: We do not accept advertisements for staff vacancies. All advertising content is at the sole discretion of the editor. All advertising will be at the rates determined by Waterford Press Ltd. Swings & Roundabouts is produced by the Early Childhood Council and is sent free of charge to all independent early childhood centres in New Zealand. The information contained in Swings & Roundabouts is of a general nature only. Readers should not act on the basis of the information it contains without seeking advice for their own specific circumstances. The views and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the view of the Early Childhood Council Incorporated. All content in this magazine is copyright and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the editor. Swings & Roundabouts is published quarterly for the Early Childhood Council by Waterford Press Ltd. 7 From the editor 8 CEO’s message 10 ECC Update 12 So you know 14 The Forest ECE: Play based learning in action 18 SPOTLIGHT ON ECE EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS AND UPCOMING CHANGES 20 ECC Conference 2024 Keynote speakers 21 ECC Conference 2024 Social Events 22 ECC Conference 2024 Programme 24 ECC Conference 2024 Workshops 26 Embracing the ModernMontessori Approach 30 Navigating Child Safety: The Pitfalls of Elevated Door Handles! 34 The problem with hobbits and orcs 36 Mathematics in ECE 38 Resource Reviews March 2024 { 5 }
PROMOTING HIGH QUALITY ECE AND SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT CENTRES IN NEW ZEALAND Insider information and advice to keep you safe, viable and compliant Discounted professional development workshops and webinars Preferred supplier discounts and offers Advocacy on your behalf when you need it Latest news and insights Tools and templates ECC Members receive: "Extremely supportive when starting up as a centre owner. So helpful to have all the tools, professional development and information readily available." www.ecc.org.nz 0800 742 742 admin@ecc.org.nz JOIN TODAY! "It is a great piece of mind as a stand alone centre to have ECC as a resource to us."
Kia ora koutou, This year the ECC Conference, Success through wellbeing, is being held at Te Pae Convention Centre, Ōtautahi / Christchurch from 9 - 10 August. With the diversity of keynote presenters, along with the breadth of workshops, participants will have opportunities to connect, be inspired and hopefully have their wairua nourished (nothing like a few days of inspiration and ideas to reinvigorate). To find out more read from page 20. Simon’s editorial, the CEO’s Message on page 8 is a reminder of the never-ending challenges for those leading and operating ECE centres. These challenges include the ongoing struggle of finding relievers (at a reasonable and affordable rate) when there is a teaching shortage; the multitude of compliance requirements; the stress of Ministry of Education licensing visits; along with Pay Parity discrepancies and so much more! Embracing the Modern Montessori Approach: Our Montessori Preschools is a centre profile on a growing group of Montessori preschools in the Canterbury region. The owners share some of the challenges they face and the importance of having a point of difference. Go to page 26 to read more. The article, Navigating child safety: The pitfalls of elevated door handles, on page 30, brings to light the issues around the elevation of door handles in ECE centres from 1,200mm to 1,500mm. While this alteration may seem practical to stop children from escaping, it brings forth a cascade of challenges such as accessibility, building consent, etc. With an adult child in a wheelchair I am constantly on the alert around accessibility for all and how tricky this can be. This article gives you a few ideas on how to get it right. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the above articles make sure you read the aweinspiring article, The Forest ECE: Play based learning in action on page 14. The Forest ECE is nestled amongst the Te Miro ngahere, on the banks of the Waitakaruru stream. The centre offers a bush programme for tamariki aged 3-6 years, where all involved are having their wairua nourished as they connect with Papatūānuku. The problem with hobbits and orcs, on page 34, is a strange title for an ECE article, but don’t let the title put you off, especially if you are not a Lord of Rings fan! This article discusses the need for leaders to support and elevate their staff’s critical and creative thinking skills which has the possibility of leading to richer and more satisfying outcomes to everyday situations. On page 36 are some strategies for encouraging maths during both intentional and spontaneous play. You cannot just leave learning maths to chance! Thank you to all our autumn contributors. Ngā mihi nui Trudi Sutcliffe Editor FROM THE Editor Ka oho te wairua, ka matāra te tinana, he aroha ki te aroha, ka kā te rama. When your spirit awakens, when your body is alive, when love is unconditional, enlightenment flows. Nā Te Rauparaha Protecting over 1500 childcare centres childproof.co.nz 0800 765 429 AJGNZ1341B March 2024 { 7 }
Sometimes journalists ask me how I can have the strength or courage to continue because of how challenging I make it sound for the people working in early childhood centres. Many centre managers and owners face a recurring Sunday evening challenge as teachers rostered to work on Monday call in sick. They then have to find cover or organise a relief teacher. ECC’s advice to our members has been to avoid engaging externally employed relief teachers if they can - because of the extremely high rates that are being charged. By extremely high – what I should say is that the hourly rates are now well above $50 per hour when the contribution to the centre (while very important) is more a case of necessity – as regulation and funding rules penalise centres with too few teachers, than it has to do with maintaining the quality of service that day. And this rate of pay has the appearance of making the relief teacher look like the best paid teacher in the centre, yet their professional responsibilities are meant to be the same but on a day-by-day basis they carry much less of the load than our permanently employed teachers. The alternative to external relief agencies is for the employer to build their own wider pool of teachers whom they employ directly. However, the ECE teacher shortage is still the “Number-1” problem facing ECE operators – so that’s easier said than done. On top of this we are not seeing many New Zealand adults seeking to study ECE teaching. Each year the numbers wanting to study dwindle further, to the point where universities are more than likely to be cutting qualifications entirely. That would be incredibly bad news. As someone interested in education policy, what we are seeing either doesn’t make sense or there is something very wrong with our workforce strategy or lack of one. Currently the un-met teacher demand is being met by overseas migrants from countries like the Philippines, South Africa and Singapore – countries where their locally-trained ECE teachers must study to the similar high standard as New Zealand – a Level 7 qualification on the Qualification Framework (e.g. a Bachelor of Teaching). This rules-out teachers trained in the United Kingdom or United States working as teachers in NZ, for example. They don’t meet our standards. It’s still more common for centre managers to be qualified teachers, even though the role of managing a centre is a completely different role and an impossible job at many times – as it’s a compliance minefield. Centre managers and owners end up rostering themselves on to work if they can’t find better cover when teachers are sick. Even a request from parents for their child to have his/her teeth brushed after meals results in the Medicines Administration policies applying. Up until recently Bonjela (soothing for teething) and nappy creams were considered medicines which required individual sign-off from both a teacher and a parent every time they were applied. I wonder how teachers and other educators in ECE centres feel when they are expected to comply with this. We can all appreciate that the incorrect application of toothpaste or nappy cream could be risky for young children. But is a compliance regime like this really the way to get people to do what you want them to do? Managers picking up the slack is something ECC isn’t keen on because they already have so much on their plate. As soon as you have managers teaching, who is left managing? If the owner and manager are the same person, these individuals have an even worse time. Unlike the situation with teachers – whose presence (or lack of) triggers immediate funding and regulatory issues, the lack of a manager matters most when you are being visited by the Ministry or the ERO. Don’t go overseas or take a holiday – that is all it takes to get caught out. We often hear from owners whose centres faced Ministry of Education licensing visits (the Ministry regulates centres using one weapon – the ability to suspend and cancel a licence). If the Ministry doesn’t like what a centre does, they can’t warn it or direct it to improve, but they can cancel its licence to operate. Imagine if MESSAGE CEO's March 2024 { 8 }
we took that approach and cancelled poorly performing schools? There is nothing stopping the Ministry from being more proactive and constructive about giving directions to centres to improve but officials in Wellington worry that without a legal power to do so, they would simply be ignored. I don’t think so. The Pay Parity policy places all this in a pressure cooker. The previous Labour Government implemented the Pay Parity policy in an effort to improve teacher pay. But the policy came with two major defects. First, the Ministry has not been transparent about the extent of the funding gap that exists between the cost of paying teachers the higher rates required in the Pay Parity policy and what the centre will actually get paid through funding. This is most alarmingly called out in the Ministry’s advice to the Minister where they point out that parents will have to pay this. And second, even if the Ministry didn’t have a funding gap that deliberately puts the pressure parents, the correct level of funding for those better teacher salaries can't be achieved by the funding system because everything is worked out on an “average cost” basis. This average cost basis was better than nothing when it was devised in the 1990s but times have changed. Now one centre with highly experienced and qualified teachers who must meet their increased Pay Parity salary should be able to expect appropriate funding to do so. If they are "above-average" that's simply not going to happen. Is the New Zealand's "tall-poppy" syndrome on steroids or just bad policy? How much simply gets wasted paying centres more who don’t need it, much like the situation we have with Wellington Water restricting public supply while maintaining a majorly leaky network. Two ECE centres with otherwise identical costs except higher salary costs in one will be paid at the same rate by the Ministry. ECC remains highly concerned about the Pay Parity policy, because over time it will mean centre closures and our most experienced and qualified teachers missing out – worsening our ECE teacher shortage. Along with challenging this and seeking policy changes to help, ECC has responded by organising webinars for parents to explain the problem. For parents it’s even harder to pinpoint. The most obvious signs are centres closing, new ones not opening and fees increasing. But a centre that operates in an area where parents cannot afford to pay higher fees gets one option – closure. Of course, for some centres the Pay Parity policy is working fine. Just like our children, there is no real “average” centre. But over time, the number of centres where it works will reduce. This is because the policy contains an automatic salary progression clause that means it will become more and more unaffordable all the time. So what is it that I say to journalists who ask me how I have the strength or courage to continue? I remind them that, thankfully, I am not a centre manager and it's my job to represent the challenges our people are facing every day so we can strive to make things better. I say we should stay focused on the positives and try to make things better. March 2024 { 9 }
ECC Update ECC Update Nau mai, haere mai The Early Childhood Council (ECC) warmly welcomes the following early learning centres that recently joined the ECC: ● ● Islington Early Childhood Centre, Dunedin ● ● The Secret Garden Childcare, Fielding ● ● Avondale College Early Childhood, Auckland ● ● Te Puna o Tarawa ECE, Ōpōtiki ● ● Leaps and Bounds, Rangiora ● ● ME Family Services - Early Childhood, Auckland ● ● Grasshoppers Early Learning, Ōhaupō ● ● Nature's Cove, Tauranga ● ● Marian Early Childhood Centre, Auckland ● ● The Vines Early Learning, Auckland New ECC Website The ECC is proud to have launched a new website (www.ecc.org.nz). This change comes as result of feedback from members who found the old website difficult to navigate and unsuitable for use on mobile devices. With the wide range of up-to-date information, tools and resources members have come to expect from the ECC, the new website has been designed to: ● Be user-friendly and enable you to find what you want, when you want it. ● Make member-only resources and products easier to find. ● Better reflect the professional nature of ECC and the work they do. ● Improve the overall look and experience for users. Some of the key changes that members will notice on the new website include the following: ● Registrations for events will now be done through Humanitix. ● Member discounted pricing for events and products will be applied using a special code accessible to members only in the portal. ECC Member Portal ● The member portal replaces the previous member section on the ECC website. You must reset your password as your old login details will no longer be valid. If you can’t find your password reset email, please contact Alison (details below). ● All account and membership details, as well as ECC’s suite of tools and resources will be accessible through the new Member Portal. Members will also find the unique Membership Discount Code (there's only one code for all members) located at the top right of the Portal pages, to be applied at the checkout when purchasing products or event registration through the website. Membership Discount Codes will be renewed on an annual basis. ● When purchasing products or event registrations please ensure the final checkout amount is correct before making payment. If you are experiencing issues, or can’t find the discount code, please contact Alison (details below). Feedback and Problem Solving As the ECC continues to improve what is available on the new website member portal users may experience some technical issues, or not see all the information about their membership straight away. Send us feedback if you find things that don't work properly, and we thank you for your patience and understanding with these changes. Please contact our Senior Project Advisor, Alison Herft, alison.herft@ecc.org.nz or call 04 471 0390. ECC Media Releases $118 million sunk into flawed IT system that won’t pay ECE teachers properly The Ministry of Education keeps sinking money into Pourato, a new IT system meant to deliver funding for employers to pay Early Childhood Education teachers, despite sector concerns since 2015 about the outdated funding approach. Early Childhood Council investigations have revealed that designing and building Pourato has cost the taxpayer $118 million since 2015. Read the full press release here: https://www.ecc.org.nz/news-andmedia/118-million-sunk-into-flawedit-system-that-wont-pay-ece-teachersproperly March 2024 { 10 }
Policy Updates 90-day trial clauses: With the re-introduction of 90-day trial clauses, the ECC have updated the following Individual Employment Agreements, found in the Member Portal. ● ● Individual Employment Agreement v2 Permanent Non-Teaching Staff ● ● Individual Employment Agreement v2 Permanent Teaching Staff ● ● Individual Employment Agreement v3 FIXED TERM Less than 6 months ● ● Individual Employment Agreement v2 FIXED TERM 6-12 months ● ● Individual Employment Agreement v2 FIXED TERM 12 months plus Enrolment agreement template: ECC is working on an update to the ECC enrolment agreement. In the meantime, please use the Ministry template but only change to using that if you really must because the Ministry template lacks some clauses that the old ECC template had. Pay Parity toolkit The ECC has updated the Pay Parity Toolkit – it now includes Full Parity and a range of other updates: ● ● We have added advice from NZQA to support you to make qualification group assessments ● ● Relievers (no longer have six week block requirement – six continuous weeks to be counted for progression; now everything counts) ● ● Owners/managers (not employed) – ECC has still had no response from the Ministry of Education (we have been waiting nearly six months). ● ● Other minor improvements Scan QR code for more information ECC Conference 2024: SUCCESS THROUGH WELLBEING All ECE professionals should mark their calendars for the biggest and brightest conference in the ECE sector. Join more than 300 centre owners, managers, teachers and consultants to learn, connect and inspire over two days. The ECC conference takes place in Christchurch on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 August 2024 with preconference events for members on Thursday 8 August at the Te Pae Convention Centre in Ōtautahi / Christchurch. The conference offers an invigorating experience for owners, managers and teachers, focusing on the theme of "Success Through Wellbeing". The ECC is bringing together renowned experts, educators, and industry leaders to explore the important role that holistic wellbeing plays in the success of early childhood education – leading teams and innovating and sustaining our businesses and organisations for lasting success. Earlybird pricing ends at midnight on Monday 25 March 2024. Members receive a $240 discount off the registration cost, and also Buy One Get One 25% off on all registrations. Conference exclusive accommodation specials are available, but spaces are limited. To register and find out more go to ecc-conference.info (more information can also be found from page 20). March 2024 { 11 }
Tāhūrangi is here, the new home for online teaching resources Tāhūrangi, is the Ministry of Education's new digital home for curriculum content, teaching resources and news. The new platform is designed to make that experience quicker and easier. Tāhūrangi has content that supports effective teaching and learning across: ● ● Te Whāriki: He Whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa Early Childhood Curriculum ● ● Te Marautanga o Aotearoa ● ● The New Zealand Curriculum, and, in time ● ● Te Whāriki a Te Kōhanga Reo. Whānau, parents, and caregivers can also access resources and information to help ākonga with their learning. Tāhūrangi is full of the features of a modern curriculum hub, making it easy to find, organise, download and share resources and teaching materials. Key benefits that make Tāhūrangi helpful when planning teaching and learning: ● ● bilingual te reo Māori/English search functions, which means you can search using one language and find results in both ● ● a range of search filters so that users can quickly find the resources they need ● ● the ability to quickly download resources. Some of what you can find: Tāhūrangi has a dedicated page highlighting Pacific values and languages for kaiako of Pacific learners. On it, you’ll find curriculum design guides in five Pacific languages, stories of practice from Pacific services across the country, as well as links to other resources like Tapasā, the Action Plan for Pacific Education, resources from the Ministry of Pacific Peoples, and Core Education’s work on supporting successful transitions of Pacific children. To find out more and to access resources, go here, https://tahurangi. education.govt.nz Refreshed Pacific Action Plan 2020-2030 The Pacific Action Plan 2020-2030 maps out the government plan how early learning services, schools, and tertiary providers can achieve change for Pacific learners and their families. The plan was refreshed in 2023 and you can find more information here, https:// www.education.govt.nz/our-work/ overall-strategies-and-policies/actionplan-for-pacific-education/2020action-plan-for-pacific-education/ The refresh sees a number of changes and fresh focus, particularly on measures to strengthen the strategic focus on Pacific languages in education. The action plan also contains resources and guidance for early learning services, including planning templates. YOU SO KNOW March 2024 { 12 }
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The Forest ECE: Play based learning in action By Abby Iremonger Nestled away amongst the Te Miro ngahere (forest), on the banks of the Waitakaruru stream is The Forest ECE, a bush programme centre for tamariki aged 3-6 years. A small whānau focused centre, with approximately 30 ākonga, and a tight-knit group of kaiako and kaimahi, we very much feel as though we are our own beautiful community learning, growing and thriving together. We believe that there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. Our kaiako and tamariki come prepared to explore outdoors undeterred by the weather. Only on the rare occasion when the weather can cause potential safety issues (high winds/thunder and lightning) will we avoid exploring the ngahere. This approach and attitude allows us to embrace that fact that our beautiful ngahere provides us with an ever changing landscape of learning opportunities involving ecosystems, weather patterns, seasons, flora, fauna, kararehe and life cycles, ensuring there is always something new to be explored and encouraging the tamariki natural curiosity. Our curriculum is holistic, culturally aware and based upon current research. Play based learning is our curriculum. Nature is our curriculum. Manaaki (support) and aroha (love) are our curriculum. A typical day at The Forest ECE starts out like most when our tamariki are dropped at our centre, often welcomed by their key kaiako with aroha and manaaki (all tamariki regardless of age are supported with a key kaiako). They are then able to explore the indoor and outdoor environments of our centre base. Our open plan indoor space has lots of thoughtfully designed spaces encompassing an array of open-ended resources and some carefully selected objective resources. We have two main indoor spaces, one with lots of special areas to play such as art, family play, science and construction, and another with opportunities to relax, have a quiet moment, enjoy a pukapuka (book) or puzzle, share some peaceful time with a friend or kaiako and explore with our extensive heuristic play resources. Our outdoor area remains open-ended but also provides opportunities for our tamariki to enjoy sandpit play, bike riding, ball kicking, loose parts building and water play. Our tamariki explore these areas freely, with kaiako, at a ratio of 1:7, always nearby to engage, support and extend when needed. March 2024 { 14 }
After spending the earlier parts of the morning at the centre and/ or with our kararehe, we prepare ourselves for the ngahere. Our tamariki are encouraged to use self-help and forward planning skills here – they are supported to plan what they will need to wear and what they would like to take for that day. After a confidence, strength and resilience building hīkoi into the ngahere, our tamariki make it to the spot at which they have chosen to spend the main portion of our day. We have several key spots we explore in the ngahere, and these are well known to our tamariki, and chosen on each day depending on the different needs and abilities of our current group. Once we have reached our destination - this is where the real magic happens! Before we even make it to the ngahere section of our programme, our tamariki will often head outside to greet and tend to our kararehe friends. We have a beloved pony named Spice, 2 cows, one named Marigold and the other Daphne, a quirky goat named Oreo, a overlyfriendly (and hungry) pig named Barney, sheep friends Baarbie and Nigella, several chickens who bring us delicious eggs daily and four ducks who greet us every morning for their feed as we enter our Kahikatea Grove. March 2024 { 15 }
Our tamariki explore, experiment and seek out all sorts of inspired ways to wonder, understand and learn as they play freely amongst the ngahere. In this unique and natural environment, tamariki are agents of their own learning. Their learning is broad and rapid simply because they are following their own interests, in their own way, at their own pace. Our kaiako are their resources, stepping in when invited, when safety calls or when a tamaiti can be scaffolded to a new level of understanding. Our kaiako are passionate about supporting learning from a dispositional lens, knowing these are the foundations for any future learning. We believe we must think about setting our tamariki up long term, a tamaiti attitude to learning will be with them for the rest of their life and therefore is a vital indicator in their future success. Play is important for health and wellbeing, and essential to the curriculum as it teaches the tamaiti to be creative. Creativity is a big part of what makes us intelligent, and intelligence is essentially the ability to solve problems. If our tamariki are fearless learners and confident in themselves as learners, we don't need to teach them what to think, and we simply can't when we consider what we ourselves don’t even know yet. We can however, teach them how to think, set them up with positive attitudes towards themselves as learners, then they are equipped to confidently take on anything the future has in store for them. Our tamariki are not compared to anyone else, measured against a system of credit or deficit, and their self-esteem and selfbelief are paramount. We pride ourselves on having an assessment system of recognising tamariki strengths, not to identify areas of weakness, but to further promote and encourage their strengths to thrive. Literacy is all through our beautiful curriculum. It is found in our conversations, our rich library of pukapuka, experiencing symbols and text, our researching together, our waiata, our kōrero and questioning. It’s in our dramatic play, pre-writing and mark making. Numeracy is woven throughout our beautiful curriculum. It’s in our heuristic play where we observe tamariki naturally following the urges of patterning and seriation. It’s in counting the trees, estimating the group size, measuring the depth of the water, assessing the length and girth of our eels, the height of our animals, the volume of the mud. It’s in adding our sheep up each spring, and dividing up our bread loaves that March 2024 { 16 }
we bake each day. It’s in the weights and measures and temperatures of our cooking projects. By adding mathematical language to our conversations, we assist with future mathematical fluency and proficiency, and normalise mathematical concepts. Science is woven into our beautiful curriculum. In our ngahere, where science abounds, how could it not? There is biology within our kararehe, our flora and fauna, chemistry within our campfire cooking, and the science of our constructions as we build and create in our ngahere. Our mahi (work) is guided by our seasons, and we experience each series of weather systems, watching it change our environment and our learning. We watch liquids turn to solids in winter, and solids turn to liquids as we enjoy the sensory delights of mud. Our tamariki are valued as kaitiaki of Papatūānuku, given daily opportunities to feel, connect and play with all that she gives them. Simply by being immersed in it, they begin to form the foundations of understanding that with these experiences comes great respect and responsibility as well as opportunity. We know that by connecting with the Earth Mother this creates opportunities to instinctually connect back to their whakapapa, adopting the Māori belief that every part and entity of the ngahere has its own life power and spiritual energy. After a busy day of exploring our ngahere, our tamariki return to our centre base where they can explore again until their day comes to an end. We really do believe they get the best of both worlds with our beautiful centre to start and end their day in, accompanied by our wonderful daily ngahere excursion. Tamariki, whānau and our kaiako are the heart of everything we do. Our kaiako meetings are more like gatherings, they have a focus on kaiako wellbeing – being good kaitiaki of ourselves so we can better manaaki others. Our kaiako each take a turn to set the agenda for the gathering by sharing what ‘fills their cup’, As a collective we share their favourite kai (food) and activity(ies) that bring them joy, creating ample opportunities to connect with each other at the same time. One kaiako is celebrated at each gathering as we ‘shine the light on them’ and remind them of everything we appreciate and value about them and celebrate what they bring to our team and space. We offer a unique programme for a unique experience that celebrates and embraces each individual tamaiti, whānau, kaiako, and kaimahi, with the intent to ensure they all have a place with us, their mana (spiritual power) is empowered, and our tamariki leave us able to continue on their learning journey with a kete (basket) of knowledge and skills for successful outcomes. March 2024 { 17 }
ECC is here to help our members stay informed about regulatory and policy changes that could affect them, and to help improve the quality of ECE centre-based services. Meeting minimum employment standards is essential to delivering quality services. MBIE’s employment team has partnered with ECC to help us support ECE employers. They value associations like ours that help employers achieve their compliance goals. Here’s our spotlight on important information on employment standards some people might not know, and some upcoming changes to employment rules. MBIE’s Labour Inspectorate visited a small number of centres in Auckland in 2023. ECC member centres that participated were considered to have performed well. ECC members have access to a free employment helpline, delivered by Black Door Law. Current employment standards ● ● 90-day trials From 23 December 2023, 90-day trial periods became available for all employers. Previously, 90-day trial periods only applied to employers with fewer than 20 employees. Any employer can provide a new employee with an offer of employment which includes a trial period. A trial period must be agreed to by the employer and employee in writing, and in good faith, before the employee starts work, as part of an employment agreement. This extension of 90-day trials does not affect other aspects of employment relations, such as the requirement to act in good faith, or worker protections regarding pay, conditions, leave, and health and safety. An employee can’t be on a trial period if they’ve worked for that employer before. You can read more on the MBIE website https://www.employment.govt.nz/about/ news-and-updates/90-day-trial-periodsextended-to-include-all-employers/ And https://www.employment.govt. nz/starting-employment/trial-andprobationary-periods/trial-periods/ ECC Member Portal resources relating to employment agreements have been updated to include reference to 90-day trials. ● ● Rest and meal breaks Employees are entitled to paid rest and unpaid meal breaks that: ýý give them a reasonable chance during work periods to rest, refresh and take care of personal matters ýý are appropriate for the length of their working day with the employer. Employers must pay for minimum rest breaks but don’t have to pay for minimum meal breaks. Employees are entitled to set rest and meal breaks. Compensation for the employee will only be allowed instead of these breaks if an exemption applies and certain requirements are met. The minimum length of breaks required by law is 10 minutes for rest breaks and 30 minutes for meal breaks. Employers and employees should agree when the breaks are to be taken. If the employer and employee cannot agree on the timing of breaks, you can see MBIE’s suggested timing here: https://www. employment.govt.nz/hours-and-wages/ breaks/rest-and-meal-breaks/ Paid rest breaks must be paid at the same rate for which the employee would be paid to work. Employers and employees must have a reasonable opportunity to negotiate in good faith and reach agreement over the timing and length of breaks. You can see more information about rest and breaks, including exemptions and exceptions, here: https://www.employment. govt.nz/hours-and-wages/breaks/rest-andmeal-breaks/ ● ● Contractors vs Employees Employees and contractors have very different rights and responsibilities. Employees have all minimum employment rights under employment laws. You can see more details about the differences between the roles here: https://www.employment. govt.nz/starting-employment/who-isan-employee/difference-between-a-selfemployed-contractor-and-an-employee/ The courts have developed some legal tests to help you tell the difference between the roles: the Intention test; Control vs independence test; Integration test; and Fundamental/economic reality test. A sham contracting arrangement happens if an employer deliberately attempts to disguise an employment relationship as an independent contracting arrangement. The Employment Relations Authority will not support a sham contracting arrangement and the employer will still have to give the ‘employee’ their employment entitlements. The ‘employer’ may also receive penalties against them. You can read about the Employment Relations Authority’s processes for engaging in contractor vs employee disputes here: https://www.employment.govt.nz/resolvingproblems/escalation-unresolved-problems/ employment-relations-authority/ Upcoming Changes ● ● Minimum wage rates will increase from 1 April 2024 ýý Adult minimum wage will go up from $22.70 to $23.15 per hour. ýý Starting-out and training minimum wage will go up from $18.16 to $18.52 per hour. ýý All rates are before tax and any lawful deductions, for example, PAYE tax, student loan repayment, child support. You can prepare for these changes by: ýý Advising your team ýý Checking your payroll systems and processes ýý Considering impacts on employee pay relativity ýý Updating your business budget ýý Ensuring you are aware of all minimum wage obligations In 2022, ECC’s analysis showed a large number of ECE employees (8.8%) would have been affected when the minimum wage increased. This reduced to 6% in 2023. See more information here: https://www. employment.govt.nz/about/news-andupdates/minimum-wage-is-increasing-on-1april-are-you-ready/ Certificated teachers are subject to the Ministry of Education’s “Step 1” minimum which increased on 1 November 2023 from $24.69 to $27.58 per hour. SPOTLIGHT ON ECE EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS AND UPCOMING CHANGES March 2024 { 18 }
Registrations: ECC Members: $719 $599 Non members: $1009 $839 Anton Matthews Gemma McCaw Dr. Lucy Hone Dr. Jin Russell Hon. David Seymour Shamubeel Eaqub EARLYBIRD REGISTRATIONS CLOSE MONDAY 25 MARCH SUCCESS THROUGH WELLBEING Conference 2024: 9 - 10 August, Te Pae Convention Centre The Early Childhood Council proudly represents over 1,300 independently owned and operated early childhood centres across New Zealand, employing thousands of passionate people who deliver quality early childhood education and care to children. Our conferences are the best opportunity for leaders to meet, develop their professional expertise, gain the confidence they need to ensure ongoing success, and get the most from their important work. From single owner-operators in remote areas who need to stay on top of constantly changing rules, to larger groups who use our conferences to help motivate their leadership teams: our conferences have something for everyone. What can I expect? Within the two day programme (and exclusive member only day), you can expect the following: 7 keynote speakers 15 workshops Exhibition Hall Centre tours ECC Member Networking Event Gala Dinner and Awards Scan QR code for more information Now is the time to invest in yourself and your team to keep your motivation up and reward your people. Register soon to save on airfares and take advantage of ECC’s exclusive accommodation savings before the earlybird sales end.
ECC Conference 2024 Keynote speakers Gemma McCaw: Striking your balance – prioritising wellbeing in order to succeed After drawing the curtain on her stellar hockey career, three-time Olympian Gemma McCaw is dedicated to sharing her skills and knowledge in the field of health and wellness. Anton Matthews: The word aroha Anton is a pāpā, husband, and chief hustler at Hustle Group. A champion for normalising te reo Māori and building generational wealth for his people. Dr Lucy Hone: Finding strength from adversity Dr Lucy Hone is a director of the New Zealand Institute of Wellbeing & Resilience, a research associate at AUT University, a published academic researcher and a best-selling author. Matt Brown: The Role of Community in Collective Healing Matt Brown is an internationally acclaimed barber and hair artist, author, husband, and father of three known for ‘giving great cuts’ and ‘inspiring great men’. Dr Jin Russell: Connecting the Dots: Understanding Early Childhood Health and Development in Aotearoa New Zealand Dr Jin Russell is a community and developmental paediatrician in Auckland, and a PhD student in life-course epidemiology at the University of Auckland. Russell is excited to be addressing crucial questions about creating environments that foster emotional, social, and physical well-being in early childhood. Shamubeel Eaqub: Economic Context for a Thriving ECE Sector Shamubeel Eaqub is an experienced economist who makes economics easy. He is also an author, media commentator and a thought leading public speaker. March 2024 { 20 }
Centre Tours Our Centre Tours take place on the evening of Thursday 8 August. We hand pick high-quality education and care centres in Ōtautahi / Christchurch for you to visit. Centre Tours are always highly popular, there is something to see for everyone! Make sure you secure your booking early. $50 per person Gala Dinner and Awards The Gala Dinner is the perfect way to celebrate the end of an amazing conference, held on the evening of Saturday 10 August. Guests will be treated to a three course dinner and drink, as we come together to celebrate excellence in the ECE sector. $130 per person Member Networking Event An opportunity for ECC Members to connect over lunch on Thursday 8 August and build their regional networks. The event will feature an address from the CEO and a guest speaker to be announced. $55 per person Social Events Spaces are limited at all social events so we recommend you book early to avoid missing out. All tickets sold separately to conference registration and prices exclude GST. Full details and registrations available at: ecc-conference.info March 2024 { 21 }
TIME SESSION 7:30am Registrations open 8:30am Mihi Whakatau and Welcome from CEO Simon Laube 9:00am Address from the Associate Minister of Education Hon. David Seymour 10:00am MORNING TEA 10:30am Enrich Tamariki Wellbeing through Gardening Anita Croft Understanding Employment Law Essentials Black Door Law The ECE Funding System / Handbook from an operational point of view Todd Painter Managing and preventing outbreaks and infections in ECE centres Te Whatu Ora Talking Matters - Communication for Wellbeing Jilly Tyler 12:00pm LUNCH 1:00pm Connecting the Dots: Understanding Early Childhood Health and Development in Aotearoa New Zealand Dr Jin Russell 2:00pm Cultural Competency for Kaiako Policy and Regulation Update Early Childhood Council Whiria te tāngata: Weaving a rightsbased culture of inclusion in ECE Kate McAnelly Become a DDO – Deliberately Developmental Organisation Karen Hayward Supporting Communities with Complex Needs Oranga Tamariki 3:30pm AFTERNOON TEA 4:00pm The Word Aroha Anton Matthews 5:00pm END OF DAY ONE TIME SESSION 12:00pm Member Networking Event 4:00pm ECC Annual General Meeting (AGM) - Members Only 5:30pm Centre Tours Day One | Friday 9 August ECC CONFERENCE 2024 Day Zero | Thursday 8 August March 2024 { 22 }
TIME SESSION 8:00am Registrations open 8:45am Welcome back 9:15am The Role of Community in Collective Healing Matt Brown 10:15am MORNING TEA 10:45am Economic Context for a Thriving ECE Sector Shamubeel Eaqub 11:45pm LUNCH 1:00pm Finding Strength from Adversity Dr. Lucy Hone 2:00pm Self-regulation and positive behaviour strategies Jimmy McLauchlan Working with the ECE Sector Ministry of Education Literacy in the early years: Supporting ākonga to thrive through their literate identities Alison Arrow How to keep your teams engergised and engaged? Paula Hawkings Differentiating Your Brand in a Competitive Market Robert Aitken 3:30pm AFTERNOON TEA 4:00pm Striking Your Balance – Prioritizing your Wellbeing in Order to Succeed Gemma McCaw 5:00pm Final Plenary and Major Prize Draw. Conference ends 5:30pm 7:00pm GALA DINNER EVENT PROGRAMME Day Two | Saturday 10 August Our programme is confirmed but is subject to change in the case of unforeseen events. The registration desk will also be open from 11:30am to 5:30pm on Thursday 8 August. Earlybird registrations end at midnight Monday 25 March. Visit ecc-conference.info for more information. This conference is proudly brought to you by the Early Childhood Council and our conference partner Discover by Xplor. March 2024 { 23 }
Jilly Tyler: Talking Matters – communication for well-being By creating language-rich environments, including responsive interactions, Kaiako become influential in the well-being of the tamariki. When communication and language are given priority the well-being of teachers and whānau is enhanced too. This workshop emphasises a whole-of-centre approach positioning responsive interactions as key drivers of well-being. Jilly Tyler, CEO of Talking Matters. Anita Croft: Enrich tamariki wellbeing through gardening This workshop will delve into the benefits of gardening for the health and well-being of children, as well as examine the wider benefits for their learning and development and provide practical ideas for engaging tamariki in gardening. Anita Croft, Founder of Growing Kiwi Gardeners. Todd Painter: The ECE Funding System / Handbook from an operational point of view Todd Painter shares insights on the ECE funding system / handbook from an operational point of view. He will discuss how you can develop good financial systems and monitoring to ensure the viability of your service, so you can focus more on achieving outcomes for children. In this session we will work through effective record management, good financial policies and procedures, ease for parents to enquire and enrol, effective fee structures, reduce daily administration and repetitive tasks, time management and communication. This will all aid in utilising your current student management system and meet the requirements for ECE funding and the Licensing Criteria. Todd Painter, of Advance ECE. ECC Conference 2024 Workshops In this workshop, participants will receive a detailed briefing on the most recent changes to legislation, licensing requirements, and compliance standards affecting ECE providers in New Zealand. We will equip you with the tools and strategies to ensure understanding and compliance of the requirements, so you can continue to deliver exceptional education and care. The session will also provide insight on changes to be expected in the future, and how you can best prepare for these. The Early Childhood Council is the leading body for childcare centre owners and managers in the ECE sector, proudly representing more than 1,300 independently owned and operated centres across New Zealand. March 2024 { 24 }
Karen Hayward: Become a DDO – Deliberately Developmental Organisation In the current climate of high paced change how do we raise the bar of passion, professionalism and practice? This session will explore how to inspire everyone in your organisation to be part of a culture where growth and development is woven into the tapestry of everyday practice. Karen Hayward is an Education Consultant at InterLEAD. Jimmy McLauchlan: Self-regulation & positive behaviour strategies ENGAGE is an evidence-based approach that supports the development of children’s self-regulation skills through intentional play. ENGAGE was developed by Associate Professor Dione Healey (University of Otago), and has been widely researched in Aotearoa. In collaboration with Methodist Mission Southern (MMS) and funding from the Ministry of Education, the programme is now being delivered across Aotearoa to equip tamariki with self-regulation skills to support successful navigation through school and beyond. Jimmy McLauchlan is the Kaiwhakawhanake Pakihi | Chief Development Officer at MMS. Alison Arrow: Literacy in the early years: Supporting ākonga to thrive through their literate identities When it comes to literacy, the current buzz is around structured literacy, but building capable learners with a strong literate identity is more important in the early years. In this workshop participants explore what it means to be literate in the early years context, literate identities, as well as exploring what structured literacy is and what it means for ākonga as they go to primary school. We will also workshop the ways that ECE settings can weave literate identities with literacy practices. Alison Arrow is an Associate Professor in Literacy at the University of Canterbury. Kate McAnelly: Whiria te tāngata: Wearing a rights-based culture of inclusion in ECE This workshop will support kaiako to articulate and justify what children's rights are, and why and how recognising and upholding children's rights is a critical pedagogical tool for inclusion. Kate will provide practical ideas for creating and sustaining rights-oriented inclusive early learning communities to be their authentic and unapologetic selves and thrive. Dr Kate McAnelly is the Lead Practitioner at Tūranga mō ngā Mokopuna. Paula Hawkings: How do you keep your teams energised and engaged? Paula will be sharing some valuable secrets to success, including how to build capacity and knowledge within your teams. She will also discuss how children and team members stand to benefit from your growth as a leader or owner. You will have the opportunity to listen to some centre success stories and understand how some of these strategies could benefit your centre. Paula Hawkings, Director of ECE Consultancy Services Ltd. March 2024 { 25 }
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