B4 school check

Whānau Āwhina Plunket provides B4 School Checks in parts of the North Island (Auckland, Waitematā, Counties Manukau, Lakes, Bay of Plenty, Manawatū, Wellington, Hutt Valley and Kāpiti), but not in the South Island.

• There are B4 School clinics from Monday to Saturday at Plunket centres or community spaces like churches or marae, and we do home visits from Monday to Friday.
• The team are also happy to visit your child’s early childhood centre if that would work better for you – we try to be as flexible as possible.

We ask that whānau book in their child’s B4 School Check as soon as their little one turns four years old.

If you're in one of the above regions, you can call us free to book your B4 School Check on 0800 104 105. You can also search for clinics in your area using the link below.

Search for B4 School clinics

If you're located elsewhere, just give the B4 School Check contact in your region a call. They'll help you book a time and place that works for you. You can find the B4 School contact in your region on the Health NZ website below.

The B4 School Check is a fun, comprehensive assessment of your child's language, development, growth, behaviour, social and emotional development, and oral health. 

There are three main parts to the check:

1. a vision and hearing check, which is often done at your child’s pre-school
2. the nurse assessment (this is at your appointment)
3. a strengths and difficulties questionnaire that will be sent back by the early childhood centre your tamariki attends.

Note: we can email you the paperwork before the check if requested.

The B4 School Check is a great opportunity for you to have a chat with one of our nurses about anything that’s top of mind for you.

Maybe your little one really struggles with getting up and ready in the mornings, or perhaps they’re having night terrors – whatever you’d like to talk about, we’re here to help.

Seeing your child soon after their fourth birthday gives plenty time for any support or adjustments (e.g. seeing a speech therapist to help with language development) to be put in place before they start school – giving them the best chance to thrive. 

Call the B4 School Check contact in your region for more information about the B4 School Check. See the Health NZ link above to find the contact in your area.

PlunketLine is also available 24/7 on 0800 933 922 for any advice and support about parenting or your child's health, wellbeing and development (this is a free service).