How ECE services are assessed
from 1 Sept 2026, ECE assessments are changing for many stand-alone services.
Self-assessment and compliance check
After you submit a self assessment, ERO checks five key areas: curriculum, premises and facilities, health and safety, staffing, and leadership, governance and management.
Evidencing Health and safety is critical
Your will be asked to evidence H&S compliance for hazard management, sleep checks, nappies, medication, excursions, emergency planning, and child safety.
Quality is judged across 7 sub-domains
Once compliance is confirmed, ERO judges quality in "Leadership, Governance and Management"; and "Curriculum, Teaching and Learning"
Your report and rating
There are four ratings: Improvement required, Meeting, Doing well and Excelling.
These signal if improvement is needed, or that you’re at or above the quality threshold.
If ERO identifies minor non-compliance, your team is typically told and given the opportunity to rectify it. Serious or unresolved risk is treated differently and can lead to closer monitoring or regulatory action.
Assessment frequency
Your next review date is driven by today's outcome. Most stand-alone services are reviewed about every 3 years. If issues are found, ERO may return within 1 year or intervene more directly.
Common risks and gaps
Child health and safety
Gaps in daily hazard checks, emergency planning, sleep checks, medication processes, and supervision
Leadership, governance and management
Policies that don't match day-to-day practice, unclear accountability, or operational review that isn't documented.
Premises and facilities
Unsafe or poorly maintained environments, missing or irregular safety checks.
Curriculum, teaching and learning
Planning and documentation that don't clearly link to Te Whāriki learning outcomes, or don't show children's progress over time.
Qualifications, ratios and service size
Incomplete staff files e.g. qualifications, safety checking, first aid, teacher certification, or Child Protection Training not up to date, especially for relief and casual staff.
The assessment timeline
1
4–6 weeks before visit
Receive your notice
ERO emails to set your next review dates and type.
Don't wait until now to check policies and records- solving issues and gathering evidence takes time.
4–6 weeks before visit
Self-review
Provide evidence and attest that you’ve taken “all reasonable steps” in each assessment domain.
Leaders can "struggle to prove" what they need to because documents are incomplete, out of date, or hard to find.
2
2 weeks before visit
Preparation
A pre-meeting clarifies focus areas and practical details.
Remember systems and records are more important than “looking ready”. Internal evaluation, governance records, health and safety checks and are common issues areas.
3
4
During
On‑site visit
An assessor is on site for 3–4 days, observing practice, reviewing documentation, talking with staff and some whānau.
Before leaving they share verbal feedback.
1–3 weeks after visit
Draft report
ERO sends a draft report for you to review for factual errors, comments or clarifications. These are considered before the final report is issued.
5
2-4 weeks after visit
Final report
You service receives the final report shortly before it's published on the ERO website.
You should discuss recommendations with your leadership and governance team.
6
About ECEDocs
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