Information for health professionals and the wider sector is gradually moving. Until mid-2026, information will either be here, or on our other website — tewhatuora.govt.nz.
The B4 School check for early learning services
Early learning services help us with B4 school checks for 4-year-old children by providing us with learning and development information.
About B4 School Check
The B4 School Check helps early childhood educators and health professionals to identify health and development issues in children before they start school. The B4 School Check is due when a child turns 4.
It checks children for concerns with:
- health
- behaviour
- social skills
- development.
The check is an opportunity to connect families to health and support services for further assessment of any issues identified.
Information we need from early learning services
Early learning providers provide us with learning and development information as part of the B4 School Check.
The B4 School Check provider will ask a person at your service to complete a strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ-T) and outline the process for returning it once it has been filled in. Sometimes it could be a parent or caregiver who asks you to complete this.
The strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ-T) is a tool to identify where a child may need further help before they start school. It focuses on strengths that can support the child, and difficulties the child is experiencing, such as:
- concentration
- behaviour
- getting along with others.
The SDQ-T asks for your observations, using your professional judgement, about a child’s interactions in the early childhood education environment.
Promoting the B4 School Check to parents and caregivers
We need support from early learning services to:
- remind parents and caregivers that the B4 School Check is free
- encourage parents and caregivers to say yes to the check
- support and encourage parents and caregivers to attend appointments if their child has been referred to services.