Need-to-know | Me mātua mōhio
Critical dates for the November 2024 RS7 return
On 1 November, we will pay the next instalment of ECE funding to licensed early learning services.
These are the key funding dates:
| Date | Action |
| 1 October | RS7 return submissions open |
| 9 October | Final date for paper and electronic RS7 returns by us for funding to be paid on 1 November |
| 1 November (overnight) | ECE operational funding payment occurs |
If you submit your RS7 return after 9 October, but before 8 November, you will receive funding on 20 November.
An email acknowledging receipt of the RS7 return will be sent to your service. If you don’t receive this within two working days of your submission, check your student management system (SMS) or early learning information system (ELI) reports. If you need to update or change your funding contact’s email address, contact your local Te Mahau office:
Any further pātai, contact [email protected].
Pay parity opt-in scheme
Higher funding rates are available to education and care and hospital-based services who pay all employed certificated kaiako | teachers at or above the pay parity minimum salary steps.
These funding rates are available in Appendix 1 of the ECE Funding Handbook:
ECE Funding Handbook: Appendix 1
The minimum salary scales are available in Appendix 4:
ECE Funding Handbook: Appendix 4
Changing your service’s minimum salary scale attestation for the advance funding months of the November 2024 funding period
If you wish to change your pay parity minimum salary scale attestation for the advance months of the November funding round, as you intend to pay your certificated teachers a different (higher or lower) parity minimum salary scale from 1 October, contact the ECE operational funding team at [email protected].
A reminder that such changes should be consistent with the employment agreements applying to your teachers.
Read more on the pay parity opt-in scheme here:
ECE Funding Handbook: Chapter 3-B-2
RS7 return following a change of ownership
After a change of ownership, the new owner can submit an electronic RS7 return for the period after the purchase and send a paper-based RS7 for the period prior to the purchase. Alternatively, the new owner can send an entire funding claim using a paper-based RS7 return.
All funding following a change of ownership will be paid to the new owner. As we do not split payments, any payment to the old owner will be actioned by the new owner.
RS7 return following a change of SMS
If you have not been using your new system (SMS or ELI web) for the entire funding period, you can:
- submit the portion of your claim electronically, for the month/s you have been using your new system, and send the paper based RS7 form for the month/s before you began using this system, or
- submit your entire funding claim using the paper based RS7 forms.
Resubmissions
You are responsible for the accuracy of the data submitted. Resubmissions are available to correct genuine errors or oversights that emerge later.
Resubmissions:
• June to September 2024 should be made electronically
• October 2023 to May 2024 should be submitted using a paper based RS7 form.
Resubmissions relating to any time before October 2023 will not be processed. Note that resubmissions may be audited by our monitoring team.
Accessing your funding notice
Funding notices for the 1 November payment will be available for download from the SDP following the payment.
Secure data portal – Education Sector Logon
Only funding contacts with access to the SDP can download their service’s funding notice.
The funding notice for your service will be available to download for 6 months following the date of upload. We advise downloading all files for future reference.
Any queries, contact [email protected].
Service open (SO) code
If your service is open on a day where children were enrolled but no children attended, you can claim funding for that day by emailing [email protected] specifying the date your service was open but no children attended. Please also use the SO code in your RS7 and input the funded child hours enrolled for that day so that funding is paid correctly.
Discretionary hours reporting requirements
Teacher-led, centre-based, and hospital-based services can use up to 80 discretionary hours in the June to September funding period. A discretionary hour is an hour that a service can claim an unqualified teacher as a certificated teacher for the staff hour count.
- If your service used discretionary hours during the current funding period, you must submit a record of the total number of discretionary hours along with your RS7.
- The discretionary hours record keeping requirements are still in place for the June to September funding round.
- If you use an approved SMS and require assistance providing the information, contact your SMS provider.
- If you submit a paper based RS7 or use ELI Web and have used discretionary hours, you must also send us the form below along with your RS7.
Discretionary hours report form: 80 Hours [PDF, 276 KB]
Note: Do not complete the form if your service has not used any discretionary hours.
Email your completed discretionary hours form and RS7 to [email protected].
For specific information on discretionary hours, visit:
3-B-2 Teacher-led education and care services
Further information
For funding terms and conditions, refer to the ECE Funding Handbook:
Electronic RS7 returns and ELI reports are available on the ELI homepage:
Early Learning Information (ELI) reports
Any pātai, contact our resourcing support team by phone on 0800 323 323 or email us at [email protected].
For any licensing or general operational matters or if you require any updates to your service’s contact details, contact your local Te Mahau office.
Targeted Funding for Disadvantage
Targeted funding for March 2025 to February 2026 will be calculated from the attendance data you have supplied to the ELI system for the period 1 April to 30 June 2024.
So that services receive the correct entitlement for targeted funding, it is important to provide your most current and up-to-date ELI data by 4 October.
Enter the names of the children attending your service correctly into ELI. The names should match those on official identification documentation that has been provided, such as the child’s birth certificate or passport.
More information about targeted funding can be found in the ECE Funding Handbook:
Heads-up | He kupu puaki
Licensing criteria curriculum guidance update
We have recently finalised updated guidance to support curriculum licensing criteria for centre-based and home-based services. The updated guidance aligns with the expanded framework of Te Whāriki that came into effect earlier this year.
Consultation on the draft guidance took place from late April to the end of July. We had over 70 responses including survey responses and written feedback. A huge thank you to those who took the time to respond.
The draft guidance was generally well supported with changes made to achieve greater clarity in the use of terminology and an increased emphasis on the importance of relationships and belonging.
The guidance is provided as a starting point to show how services can meet the curriculum standard and associated licensing criteria. You are not required to use the guidance and can use other approaches to implement Te Whāriki and meet licence criteria.
For the summary report, visit:
Overall insights from the feedback and Ministry response [PDF, 195 KB]
To read the final updated curriculum guidance:
