What the New 2026 Teaching Standards Actually Mean for Early Childhood Centres

Practical changes for ECE services (and what the New 2026 Teaching Standards might look like at your centre)

The Teaching Council of Aotearoa has released the 2026 Standards for the Teaching Profession, marking a significant evolution from the 2017 Standards currently used across early childhood education, schools, and teacher education.

While the shift may look technical at first glance, the real question for many ECE leaders and kaiako is simple:

What will actually change in our centres?

The answer is reassuring, much of the framework remains familiar, but there are important practical shifts in how teaching practice is interpreted, evidenced, and reflected on.

For early childhood services such as Chester Street ECE Centre (A completely imaginary centre for example purposes only), these changes strengthen expectations around:

• Te Tiriti partnership in everyday practice

• Evidence-informed teaching

• Understanding how children learn

• Inclusive environments

• Assessment and learning progress

• Professional collaboration and growth

The new framework expands the standards from six to eight and groups them into three domains: Professional Knowledge, Professional Practice, and Professional Engagement. But what does this mean in a real life ECE Setting?

The Big Shift: From Six Standards to Eight

The new standards reorganise the 2017 framework but keep many core ideas.

However, the focus areas beneath each standard are stronger, clearer, and more practical.

Some standards remain largely the same, while others introduce new expectations around learning science, diverse needs, behaviour support, and technology use.

For ECE centres, the biggest changes appear in:

• Understanding how learning happens

• Responding to diverse needs (including neurodivergence and trauma)

• Assessment and progress monitoring

• Behaviour and safe environments

• Responsible use of technology

1. Te Tiriti o Waitangi Is Now the Foundation of All Practice

The first standard explicitly requires teachers to demonstrate commitment to tangata whenuatanga and Te Tiriti partnership.

This includes:

• recognising the unique status of tangata whenua

• affirming identity, language and culture in learning

• actively developing te reo Māori and tikanga in practice

• building authentic relationships with Māori whānau

What this might look like at Chester Street ECE Centre

Instead of a once-a-week waiata session, the teaching team integrates te reo Māori across the day:

• greeting tamariki in te reo

• naming learning areas using kupu Māori

• storytelling through pūrākau connected to the local iwi

When planning a Matariki learning experience, kaiako invite whānau to share family traditions, strengthening the connection between identity, culture and learning.

This is no longer seen as enrichment or above and beyond: it is professional practice aligned with the standard.

2. A Stronger Focus on How Children Learn

One of the biggest new additions is Standard 3: Know the learner and the learning process.

Teachers are now expected to understand the cognitive, emotional, and social factors that influence learning, drawing on insights from the science of learning.

There is also stronger emphasis on supporting:

• neurodivergent learners

• children with disabilities

• children affected by trauma

• culturally diverse learners

Scenario from Chester Street

Kaiako notice that Jordan struggles during group mat times.

Instead of simply encouraging participation, the team reflects on:

• sensory needs

• attention regulation

• emotional safety

They trial alternatives:

• smaller group learning

• movement-based storytelling

• visual supports

The focus shifts from “managing behaviour” to understanding how learning happens for that child.

3. Teaching Practice Must Be Evidence-Informed

Standard 2 emphasises that teachers must understand content, curriculum, and evidence-informed teaching strategies.

For ECE, this includes understanding how to foster:

• oral language

• early literacy

• numeracy foundations

These are described as “foundational capabilities integrated across learning.” and details around enriching and assessing these capabilities are explored in the Ministries Kōwhiti Whakapae Resource. 

Example in practice

At Chester Street ECE Centre, kaiako intentionally design block play to support:

• spatial language

• counting

• storytelling

Instead of documenting only the play experience, teachers analyse how the learning supports literacy and numeracy development.

This is where the standards connect directly to structured literacy and early learning research.

4. Stronger Expectations Around Safe and Inclusive Environments

Standard 5 expands expectations for creating supportive learning environments.

Two areas are particularly new:

• behaviour support approaches

• responsible use of technologies (including digital tools and AI).

What this means in an ECE centre

At Chester Street, teachers develop shared strategies for supporting behaviour:

Instead of saying “AJ is being disruptive”

The team discusses:

• what AJ is communicating

• how the environment supports regulation

• how routines can be adapted

They introduce:

• predictable routines

• calm spaces

• visual transitions

The standard reframes behaviour support as intentional teaching practice.

5. Assessment Must Inform Teaching

Another shift is the clearer expectation around assessment and learning progress.

Teachers are expected to:

• gather and analyse assessment information

• identify next learning steps

• communicate progress to whānau.

Example at Chester Street

A kaiako documents Aria’s fascination with insects.

Under the new standards, the reflection goes deeper:

Instead of simply recording the interest, the teacher asks:

• What learning progress is happening?

• What knowledge or skills are developing?

• What could the next step be?

The team plans:

• outdoor exploration

• insect observation journals

• vocabulary building

Assessment becomes intentional planning, not just documentation.

6. Professional Learning and Collaboration Matter More

Two standards emphasise ongoing professional growth:

• Standard 7 – Engage in professional learning

• Standard 8 – Engage in productive professional relationships

Teachers are expected to:

• reflect on practice

• seek feedback from colleagues

• participate in professional learning

• collaborate with families and communities.

In practice

At Chester Street ECE Centre, the teaching team holds fortnightly reflective meetings.

They examine:

• learning stories

• observations

• teaching strategies

Instead of compliance discussions, the focus becomes:

“What are we learning about our teaching?”

What This Means for ECE Leaders

For centre managers and pedagogical leaders, the 2026 standards are less about compliance and more about professional clarity.

They emphasise:

• intentional teaching

• evidence-informed practice

• culturally responsive learning

• deeper understanding of how children learn.

For centres like Chester Street ECE Centre, this shift aligns closely with the best of early childhood pedagogy:  relationships, inquiry, and responsive teaching.

But the difference is this:

The new standards expect us to articulate that practice clearly and professionally.

Final Thought

The move from the 2017 Standards to the 2026 Standards isn’t about replacing good teaching.

It’s about making great teaching visible.

For early childhood centres across Aotearoa, the opportunity now is to move beyond compliance and embrace the standards as a framework for:

• stronger teaching practice

• deeper professional learning

• and better outcomes for tamariki.

Now What?

Many centres are asking:

How do we prepare our teams now so this doesn’t become another compliance exercise?

That’s exactly why Preety Sehgal is running a practical workshop for ECE leaders and teachers.

🎓 Understanding the Changes to Codes and Standards – PLD Series

In this session you’ll learn:

• What has actually changed between the 2017 and New 2026 teaching standards

• How the Code of Professional Responsibility connects to the standards

• What this means for your Professional Growth Cycle

• Practical ways to align your centre practice with the new expectations

If you lead a centre, mentor teachers, or support professional growth - this session will give you clarity and confidence before the changes take full effect.

Join the workshop here:https://www.coactiveeducation.com/event-details/understanding-the-changes-to-codes-and-standards-pld-series

Let’s make sure the transition to the 2026 teaching standards strengthens our profession - rather than becoming just another compliance task.