From Paperwork to Purpose: Effective curriculum planning in ECE

Let’s be honest — too many teachers are spending precious time writing plans that don’t actually change what happens for children. The meetings, the templates, the folders full of “plans”… but where’s the impact?

Planning isn’t meant to be a compliance exercise. It’s meant to be a living, breathing reflection of your values, your community, and your vision for tamariki. Effective curriculum planning in ECE should energise your team — not drain it.

At HeartLead NZ, I’m on a bit of a mission to help teachers fall back in love with planning — the kind that sparks real connection, curiosity, and growth.

 Side by side, learning and growing together — friendship, warmth, and belonging in the heart of the curriculum.

Start with what matters most

Every community has its own heartbeat. That’s where planning should start — with your local learning priorities designed alongside whānau, iwi, and your community. These priorities aren’t just boxes to tick; they’re your compass. They bring Te Whāriki to life in a way that actually means something to the people of your place.

When your learning priorities are grounded in your local story, everything else starts to flow with purpose. Teachers know what they’re aiming for. Whānau can see their aspirations reflected. Children’s learning feels connected and alive.

Connect the dots — beautifully

This is where so many services lose the thread. Planning shouldn’t be a collection of random “activities.” It should be about how each child’s experiences build towards something bigger — how their curiosity, confidence, and capabilities deepen over time.

By locating each child’s learning focus within a local learning priority, you create a map of their journey. Suddenly, your planning isn’t a to-do list — it’s a story of progression.

A snapshot of intentional planning in action — connecting Aria’s curiosity about insects with whānau knowledge, science learning, and sustained shared thinking through everyday experiences.

Effective curriculum planning in ECE means planning as a team

Here’s a truth I hold firmly: teachers don’t learn in isolation, so why should they plan that way? When only one person is "responsible" a group of children, the collective learning energy gets lost.

Collaborative planning changes everything. When teachers plan together — through group and individual templates, environment reflections, and emergent practice reviews — they build shared understanding and momentum. Professional dialogue thrives. Everyone’s thinking gets sharper. The environment becomes your third teacher again. I share more about how to make meetings more meaningful here.

Capture learning as it unfolds

Documentation should feel alive. It’s not about perfect sentences — it’s about noticing, responding, and celebrating growth.

Centres across the motu have designed a range of brilliant ways to capture that story in real time. Theres many ways to show children’s progression — not as isolated “stories,” but as threads of learning woven together by a focused, passionate, intentional teaching team.

Over time, evidence like this shows something far more powerful than compliance: it shows growth, joy, and intention. Check out ECE Learning Unlimited to see Barbara Watson share some different approaches to documenting learning.

Joy in the everyday — a playful moment of connection and curiosity, where imagination turns a simple box into endless possibilities.

From plans to impact

When planning becomes collective, responsive, and grounded in your local priorities, it stops feeling like admin and starts feeling like leadership.

Children experience continuity and challenge. Teachers feel connected and clear. Whānau finally see what authentic partnership looks like.

That’s the kind of planning I believe in — and it’s the kind of planning I help teams bring to life.

 Want to see what this could look like in your centre?

I’ve created a practical framework and a set of editable templates that guide your team through the full process — from setting local learning priorities to documenting meaningful, intentional teaching.

Get in touch via heartleadnz@gmail.com or visit heartleadnz.com to find out how I can support your team to design a planning process that reflects your philosophy, community, and purpose.