Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, is an inclusive curriculum – a curriculum for all children. Inclusion encompasses diverse family structures and values, socio-economic status, religion, refugee, migrant and minority families, gender and ability, including disabled children and those with learning and health needs. 

An inclusive early learning environment is one where all children can:

• participate fully and meaningfully
• learn and interact in a programme that acknowledges, supports and extends their strengths and interests
• are secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution.

For all children, their experience of inclusion in early learning settings means:

• "I have access"
• "I can participate"
• "I experience positive outcomes."

Access

These are ways children experience access:

• "I can attend the same hours as other children"
• "I can go on trips and outings"
• "I can access all areas of my setting"
• "My early learning setting identifies and removes barriers and limitations."

Partciptation

These are ways children experience participation:

• "I am included"
• "I have a strong sense of belonging"
• "I participate fully in all parts of the curriculum in ways that work for me"
• "You see me, my strengths and my interests. I am celebrated, supported and extended."

Positive outcomes

These are ways children experience positive outcomes:

• "I feel good about being me"
• "I have meaningful relationships with kaiako and tamariki"
• "I am a confident and engaged learner"
• "My learning progress is supported, expanded and extended"
• "I am connected with and contribute to my world."

See the materials that come with this resource to download:

• Inclusion means poster (.pdf)

Inclusion is about providing equal access and opportunity to all. Unlike integration, which expects children with disability to adapt to the regular learning environment, inclusion creates a learning environment that adapts to each child.

See the materials that come with this resource to download:

• Inclusion looks like poster (pdf.)

What does each child need to participate to the best of their abilities in your setting?

See Materials that come with this resource to download:

• Inclusive Practice Reflection Journal (.pdf)

You can read and print the Inclusive Practice Reflective Journal to reflect on your individual practice, or work through the tool collectively as a team. It is a great tool to look more deeply at inclusion in your setting, and as part of an inquiry or internal evaluation.

You can learn more about Access how you can access additional support for children and their kaiako in an early learning setting at the Ministry of Education website.

Learning support in the early years (education.govt.nz)

Te Tūāpapa: A flexible, tailored model of support

The Ministry of Education’s Learning Support team uses Te Tūāpapa, a practical, evidence-based framework to identify and provide learning support that adapts to children’s needs and learning contexts.

Flexible and integrated supports (education.govt.nz)

Through Te Tūāpapa, strengths and information about teaching and learning are gathered collaboratively to guide decisions on the following supports:

• Te Matua: Building inclusive environments, cultures, and practices.
• Te Kāhui: Tailored approaches to enhance participation, learning, and wellbeing.
• Te Arotahi: Specific supports for unique needs and contexts.

These supports work together as part of an integrated approach within Te Tūāpapa.

To see how Te Tūāpapa can work in practice, read the story of practice: A Partnership Approach to Providing Learning Supports.

Inclusive practice relies on strong leadership. Leaders have overall responsibility to ensure all children can access the full depth and breadth of the early childhood curriculum. A leader will demonstrate an inclusive attitude based on the belief that all children have rights to learn and develop with and alongside their peers.  

Committed leaders build positive relationships with kaiako, children, parents, and whānau, including those with additional health, physical, emotional, social, cultural, and spiritual needs.  

Leaders need to communicate effectively with other kaiako, parents, whānau, and support agency partners and specialists to ensure they are providing a curriculum that supports the learning of all children. This means taking responsibility for joint planning for individual children, including processes to document their learning and development and systems for robust self-review and internal evaluation. The aim is to weave the plan into the service’s curriculum to make sure the environment, experiences, events, and excursions are accessible.  

Leaders are also expected to encourage reflective, responsive practices that protect and promote an inclusive whāriki for all children.

Reflective questions for leaders

• How can I make sure the curriculum in my setting supports children and their families to be active participants in their communities? 
• How well do our transition to school processes support children who require additional support to transition to school successfully?  
• How is assessment information and kaiako knowledge of all children used to plan and evaluate teaching and learning in my setting?   
• How do we encourage high expectations for all children’s learning, development, and relationships? 

Education Review Office (ERO)

Responding to Diverse Cultures research articles 

These ERO resources explore what culturally responsive teaching looks like in practice and how schools and services can support good practice. The report ‘Good Practice in Home-based Early Childhood Services’ is particularly relevant for early learning. 

Education for disabled learners in New Zealand 

This ERO research looks at how well the education system is supporting disabled learners. It includes research about early childhood education and good practices guides for kaiako, parents, and whanau in early childhood education. 

Ministry of Education

Early intervention service

This guidance provides early learning services, family, and whānau with information about the supports that are available for children who have additional learning needs.  

Te Tūāpapa o He Pikorua

Te Tūāpapa o He Pikorua is a flexible, tailored model of support used by Ministry learning support practitioners. This model sits within He Pikorua, which is the practice framework for Ministry and RTLB learning support practitioners.

Inclusive education

Find out about inclusive education in New Zealand schools, including your school's legal obligations. Our resources can help your school or early learning service support students with diverse needs. 

Inclusive Education Guides

The Inclusive Education Guides are kete (collections) of evidence-based inclusive strategies to support Year 1-13 teachers and school leaders. They bring together strategies, suggestions, and resources from Aotearoa and around the world. These have been curated by the Ministry of Education for the Aotearoa learning context. 

Ka Hikitia – Ka Hāpaitia

Tau Mai Te Reo 

Ka Hikitia – Ka Hāpaitia is the Māori Education Strategy, and Tau Mai Te Reo is the Māori Language in Education Strategy. Together, they outline the shifts needed in education for Māori to enjoy and achieve educational success as Māori, and growth in te reo Māori for both Māori and non-Māori learners. 

Kei Tua o te Pae - Inclusive assessment

Kei Tua o te Pae - Assessment for Learning: Early Childhood Exemplars are best practice guides published in the early 2000s by the Ministry of Education to help early learning kaiako to continue to improve the quality of their practice. Inclusive assessment | Te Kāhui Aromatawai, Book 9 of the series, focuses on inclusive assessment. 

Much More than Words

Much More than Words is a Ministry of Education booklet that provides information about children’s communication development so you can think about how your child is talking and support them, using their skills and interests. Early childhood teachers, kaiako, whānau, health professionals and others will find it useful. 

See Materials that come with this resource to download:

• Much More then Words V2 (.pdf) 

United Nations Conventions

United Nations Convention on the rights of Persons with Disabilities

New Zealand is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This is an international treaty that articulates what is required to implement existing human rights as they relate to disabled people. The link above to the Office for Disability Issues contains different formats and translations available of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is a comprehensive international human rights document on the rights of indigenous peoples that New Zealand is a signatory to. Te Puni Kōkiri is the lead government agency for developing a Declaration Plan in Aotearoa, and this link provides a suite of resources Te Puni Kōkiri has curated on the Declaration.  

• The Human Rights Commission has also produced a helpful guide, The Rights of Indigenous Peoples: What you need to know in both te Reo Māori and English. 

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Children’s Convention) sets out the rights of all children, aged 0 to 18 years, and the responsibilities of governments to ensure those rights are respected. The New Zealand Government signed up to the Children’s Convention in 1993.  

The Children’s Convention sets out a framework of rights based on what a child needs to survive, grow, participate, and reach their potential. Article 2 is about non-discrimination and being inclusive. Article 23 relates to children with disabilities. Articles 28 and 29 are about children’s rights to education, for example, all children’s rights to develop to their full potential. Article 30 is about indigenous children’s rights, and Article 31 relates to children’s rights to play. 

• Unicef has published a simplified version of the Children’s Convention
• The Office of the Children’s Commissioner has produced a summary of the Children's Convention. 

Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education (CSIE) – United Kingdom

Index for Inclusion: developing play, learning and participation in early years and childcare

The Index for Inclusion from the United Kingdom’s Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education is a detailed set of materials to help support early years and childcare settings to increase the participation of all children and young people in learning and play. First published in 2004, this is the updated 2018 version of the Index. 

Further reading

Alton-Lee, A. (2003). Quality teaching for diverse students in schooling: Best evidence synthesis. Wellington: Ministry of Education.

This report is one of a series of best evidence syntheses commissioned by the Ministry of Education. Quality teaching is identified as a key influence on high quality outcomes for diverse students. The report identifies ten characteristics of quality teaching, derived from a synthesis of research findings of evidence linked to student outcomes. 

Bishop, R. & Berryman, M. (2009). The Te Kotahitanga Effective Teaching Profile. Set 2. Wellington: NZCER Press. 

Te Kotahitanga is a project that seeks to improve the educational achievement of Māori students in mainstream schools. Through interviews with Māori students, their teachers, and whānau, the authors learnt about the characteristics of teachers that made a difference. In this article, they have drawn together these characteristics into the Effective Teaching Profile. While school focussed, the understandings and practices of effective teachers of Māori ākonga described here are also relevant for early learning kaiako.    

Glass, B., Baker, K., Ellis, R., Bernstone, H. & Hagan, B. (2009). Botany Downs Kindergarten: Inclusion at Botany Downs Kindergarten Centre of Innovation 2006-08.

This Centre of Innovation study provides a valuable insight into building a fully inclusive early learning service and considers phases of preparation, transition, and monitoring. 

Farquhar, S. (2003). Quality teaching: Early foundations best evidence synthesis. Ministry of Education: Wellington. 

This report is one of a series of best evidence syntheses commissioned by the Ministry of Education. This synthesis addresses the question of: "What works in early childhood teaching for maximising children's learning outcomes and reducing disparities amongst diverse children?" 

Moore, T. (2012). Rethinking early childhood intervention services: Implications for policy and practice. Pauline McGregor Memorial Address presented at the 10th Biennial National Conference of Early Childhood Intervention Australia, and the 1st Asia-Pacific Early Childhood Intervention Conference. Perth, Western Australia. 

Drawing on a recent major literature review of early childhood intervention services, this paper examines the aims and rationale for early childhood intervention services, and what is known about effective practice.

Li, S., O’Hara-Gregan, J., & MacArthur, J. (2022). Understanding disability as socially and culturally constructed – what does this mean for inclusive early childhood education? Early Childhood Folio, 26(2), pp. 3–7.

Drawing on an appreciative case study, this article uses a framework of disability studies in education and sociocultural theory to illustrate how understanding disability as socially constructed can contribute to inclusive ECE practice.