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Ministry of Education New Zealand

Mihi

Kua mahuta mai rā a Māhurukiterangi
Hoki mai rā e te pīpīwharauroa
Hoki mai rā e te koekoeā
Hoki mai rā e te ora o Hinerauwhārangi
Kōanga nui Kōanga roa 
Aroaro ā-manu, Aroaro mahana
Nau mai, haere atu taku karere 
Te karere a Te Poutāhū 
Ki runga ki te mata o te whenua 
Tihei Mauriora!

Māhurukiterangi rises at dawn
Return shining cuckoo
Return long-tailed cuckoo
Life returns to the forest and vegetation
A great and long Spring is here
Birds return with the warmth
Welcome also my message and depart
The message from Te Poutāhū
Moving over the face of the land
It breathes, it lives!

Kia ora koutou, 

We know there’s been a lot to get through this year, with significant change taking place at the same time as delivering excellent teaching to our young people. I want to acknowledge how much has been achieved this year across the whole of the education sector.

Some of the highlights include:

  • Over 400,000 maths resources ordered.
  • 8,000 teachers trained in structured literacy approaches.

This is alongside the support and feedback that enabled the release of the English and maths and statistics learning areas and Pāngarau and Te Reo Rangatira wāhanga ako. I know that many of you also used your Term 4 teacher-only day to get started with unpacking these new curriculum areas.

At the heart of these changes is lifting achievement, providing our children and young people with the best opportunities to succeed in education as they go on to be the leaders of tomorrow. A world-leading, knowledge-rich curriculum is a key part of how all of us can support our children to thrive, and I’d like to thank everyone who has already contributed to the refresh of the learning areas and wāhanga ako.

This newsletter provides details on updates for both the junior and senior years. For Years 0-8 there is information on the newly released learning areas and wāhanga ako, ordering resources for maths and structured literacy, maths and Pāngarau curriculum days, phonics checks and the accelerated maths trial.

For our senior years there is information on the specific resources, supports and PLD for teachers and kaiako, including information about the additional support being provided during Term 4 focused on implementing the Co-requisite standards and the 2025 review and maintenance updates to NCEA.

You will also find a new feature in this newsletter: the inclusion of an update from the Education Review Office (ERO). They will be providing articles sharing good practice that it has seen in school improvement and effective change implementation, with a particular focus on curriculum implementation.

With the year starting to draw to a close, our next milestone is on the horizon. As schools and kura begin implementing the new curriculum materials from 2025, we’ll be consulting on the English (7-13) and maths (9-13) and Te Reo Rangatira (7-13) and Pāngarau (9-13) curriculum content. This will be a longer consultation window.

What we do today will have an impact on tomorrow. Whilst it is a lot to get through now, we know that through our combined efforts we’re building a better future for our children and young people.

Pauline Cleaver
Hautū (Acting Deputy Secretary)
Te Poutāhū | Curriculum Centre

Email: [email protected]

Checklist of actions for Term 4

For Years 0-8

  • Order maths resources free of charge.
  • Look out for the pāngarau activity packs coming into your kura.
  • Purchase SLA resources with funding provided in operations grant.
  • Book PLD for structured literacy approaches, structured maths, Rangaranga Reo ā-Tā and Rangaranga Pāngarau. 
  • Prepare and schedule 2025 curriculum days.
  • Prepare for phonics checks. 

For Years 9-13

  • Check if you’re eligible for targeted support being offered to some schools and immersion units with students who are most likely to struggle to meet the NCEA Co-requisite requirements. 
  • Explore past Common Assessment Activities (CAA) on NZQA website.
  • Understand what the ‘transition outcomes for additional NCEA Co-requisite standards’ mean for you and your students while planning your Level 1 courses. 
  • Prepare to use the revised Achievement Standards and supporting materials for assessment in 2025. 
  • Find out more about online workshops for NCEA subjects and book a place if one is available for your subject.

Curriculum refresh updates

Our work with you over the last few years has helped us reach important milestones on the road to strengthening our national curriculum for schooling (The New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa).

The delivery of a refreshed curriculum is a step towards transforming education outcomes for New Zealand students. A knowledge-rich, progression-based curriculum where teachers and kaiako are clear about what is expected each year and how to deliver that teaching will create a strong foundation for lifting student achievement.

Release of revised learning areas and wāhanga ako

On Thursday 31 October, the content for The New Zealand Curriculum Years 0-6 English and Years 0-8 mathematics and statistics (maths) learning areas and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa Years 0-6 Te Reo Rangatira and Years 0-8 Pāngarau wāhanga ako were released.

The updated learning areas and wāhanga ako can be accessed here, including videos to support you to navigate through the documents:

Recently added resources available on Tāhūrangi:

More resources can be found on Tāhūrangi.

Supports for implementing curriculum and assessment changes – Tāhūrangi

Upcoming consultation

The next consultation will be on the updated Years 7-13 English and Years 9-13 mathematics and statistics learning areas and the new draft Years 7-13 Te Reo Rangatira and Years 9-13 Pāngarau wāhanga ako. We will keep you updated on when the consultation will open via the School Leaders Bulletin and on Tāhūrangi.

Further consultation in 2025

Draft curriculum content for all other learning areas and wāhanga ako will be available for use and open for feedback later in 2025.

The fully updated national curriculum, including all the other learning areas, wāhanga ako and subjects, will be available for all schools and kura to use throughout 2026, giving a full year before it’s officially required from 2027.

Updates for Years 0-8

Accelerated maths programme trial

To accelerate lifting achievement in maths, the Minister of Education has announced the trial of a new accelerated maths programme for Years 7-8, starting in Term 1 next year.

The trial will be held in schools and kura around the country, covering approximately 2000 students, and will involve small group and online tutoring four times a week, for 12 weeks.

The Ministry will be approaching a range of schools and kura to take part in the trial to ensure a representative sample is achieved with regard to equity index, size and geographical location.

Read more here: Accelerating maths achievement for Kiwi kids – Beehive

Structured approaches to maths resources now available

It’s been great to see the number of schools ordering their Ministry-funded resources. There’s a range to choose from so you can pick what will work best for your students. All the resources are aligned to the revised maths and statistics learning area for Years 0–8.

For more information, visit Tāhūrangi.

Ordering Ministry-funded maths resources – Tāhūrangi

Rangaranga Pāngarau

For Rangaranga Pāngarau, packages of resources will be made available at the beginning of Term 1, 2025 to support the Pāngarau wāhanga ako for Years 0-8. There are also activities for Te Paerangi Kaiako 4 (Teacher-only Day 4) exploring key Pāngarau collections that you may wish to download or order.

Other resources are in development, and you can find them here as they're made available.

Te Paerangi Kaiako 4 – Tāhūrangi

Maths and Pāngarau PLD

PLD to support you to embed the revised maths learning area for Years 0-8 will be available nation-wide from next year. Ministry-selected facilitators will be on hand to come to your school, kura or Kāhui Ako to hold PLD sessions.

Schools are encouraged to book as a cluster or Kāhui Ako, to access the training. A minimum of 20 attendees is usually required to book a facilitator. Small and rural schools who have unique requirements for this PLD should email [email protected] about their needs.

These facilitated PLD sessions will be held over four days during 2025 and 2026. There will be flexibility in how you organise this to suit your needs, however applications will be dependent on facilitator availability.

The delivery of the PLD for the maths learning area will begin in Term 1 2025, with applications open this month. Schools will need to use Salesforce to apply by using an ESL log-in. Details on setting up a log-in can be found on the Ministry’s PLD webpage.

Professional Learning and Development website

The delivery of the PLD for the Pāngarau wāhanga ako will start in Term 2, with applications opening in Term 1. More information about this process will be provided nearer the time.

Order your structured literacy and te reo matatini resources

We’d like to remind schools and kura of the funding available to purchase resources for structured approaches to literacy and te reo matatini. Funds to purchase these were added to your October 1 operations grant of your schools and kura.

The funding contribution is intended for resources for students, teachers and kaiako, and can include:

  • Decodable student books (if you school does not want to use the free Ready to Ready Phonics Plus or Ngā Kete Kōrero reading series).
  • Rich language picture books that promote vocabulary development and comprehension skills.
  • Manipulatives (such as letter tiles, magnetic letters, and letter flashcards), and games (both digital and hard pack) that support students to practise literacy skills.

Schools and kura do not have to spend all the money in one year. It can be carried across multiple years. Guidance for how to select resources can be found here.

Funding contribution for structured literacy and te reo matatini resources – Tāhūrangi

Preparing for phonics checks in 2025

A new phonics check will be available for all schools and kura to carry out with students in Years 1 and 2 from January 2025.

The results of trials of the phonics check in schools and Hihira Weteoro which has been developed for te reo Māori speaking settings will confirm the suitability of the checks for New Zealand settings and inform the guidance being prepared for teachers and kaiako.

The materials to carry out the check in English speaking settings and Hihira Weteoro will be available on Tāhūrangi to download from January 2025. Hihira Weteoro will also be available in hardcopy.

On Tāhūrangi from January 2025 you will also find:

  • an online module for the phonics check
  • a video of Hihira Weteoro being used
  • further guidance to support leaders and teachers to carry out the checks
  • resources on how to record and analyse the data.

Preparing intermediate students for NCEA Co-requisite

To help your Year 7 and 8 students prepare to transition to secondary school and meet the NCEA Co-requisite requirement, we encourage teachers and kaiako to access past Common Assessment Activities (CAA) on NZQA's website.

Literacy and numeracy exemplars, past assessments, reports and schedules – NZQA

Some text and images have been redacted due to copyright restrictions. However, the redacted versions provide links to access the full content. By following these links, schools can access the complete CAA papers and help their students familiarise themselves with the Co-requisite assessments.

We are currently developing resources to help teachers use the CAA papers to enhance students' literacy and numeracy skills. An update will be provided in early 2025.

Information and resources to help students prepare for digital assessment are also available on NZQA website

Preparing for digital assessment as a student – NZQA

Updates for Years 9-13

Additional support will be provided to schools from Term 4, to help them implement the Co-requisite standards and the 2025 review and maintenance updates to NCEA.

Targeted NCEA literacy and numeracy support

To further boost literacy and numeracy outcomes, Education Minister Erica Stanford has launched a $2.5 million initiative that will initially benefit an estimated 10,000 students in secondary schools and immersion units.

From Term 4 2024, targeted support is being offered to around 160 secondary schools and immersion units with students who are most likely to struggle to meet the NCEA Co-requisite requirements.

Recognising the challenges of the new NCEA Co-requisite, Minister Stanford has extended the transition period to 2027.

Additional NCEA Co-requisite standards during the transition period

It’s really important to be aware of the transition outcomes (2024 to 2027) while you’re planning your Level 1 courses. While credits from standards on the additional list can be applied towards the NCEA Co-requisite, they can only be used once, either towards the 20-credit co-requisite or the 60-credit NCEA qualification. It’s important that students have back-up options if they fail the Common Assessment Activities.

To successfully complete an NCEA qualification, students must be entered into sufficient assessments to provide them with the opportunity to achieve 60 credits, at any level, plus the 20 credits required for the NCEA Co-requisite.

Credits earned from standards used to meet the co-requisite can still be included in calculations for course and certificate endorsements.

Standards approved for NCEA Co-requisite during the transition period – NCEA

Updated NCEA qualification outcome statements

The NCEA qualification outcome statements will be republished on our website to reflect the extended transition period ending in 2027. We will also clarify that Supported Learning Unit Standards are not included in NCEA qualifications.

Supported Learning Standards are foundational-level standards that support learners who need extra assistance. However, they cannot count towards NCEA qualifications as they are not set at the same level of the New Zealand Curriculum.

Revised Achievement Standards and supporting materials for assessment in 2025

A number of Achievement Standards and supporting materials have been updated for 2025 following the annual review and maintenance of the New Zealand Curriculum NCEA subjects across all three levels.

All affected Achievement Standards and supporting materials are now available for planning purposes on the NCEA Education website.

  • Level 1 - Updated Ministry of Education materials are available on each subject page’s Learning tab as PDFs.
  • Levels 2 and 3 – The updates are available as PDFs, organised by subject, on the website.

Reviewed NZC Achievement Standards and assessment materials for use in 2025 – NCEA

Please ensure the revised standards and supporting materials are used for assessment in 2025.

Online workshops for NCEA subjects - support for implementing updates to standards

Curriculum advisors, supported by subject associations, are currently conducting online workshops for some subjects affected by the NCEA review and maintenance updates.

These workshops provide teachers with subject-specific support to help in understanding the changes in the updated materials for 2025. They will again be offered in Term 1 2025, if required. We are pleased to be able to partner with many of our subject associations to support these updates.

Register for these workshops through the NCEA website.

Register for NCEA online workshops – NCEA

Contact your local curriculum advisors to unpack subject Learning Matrices, Subject Learning Outcomes, and Achievement Standards or to help design courses.

The Ministry and NZQA are aware of concerns raised by schools about the potential impact of generative AI tools on the authenticity of NCEA assessments.

While AI can enhance teaching and learning, it’s important that schools exercise oversight to prevent misuse and protect the integrity of student work.

We are working on developing additional guidance and supporting resources, considering changes to assessments and policy, and will be seeking further input from the education sector and the Minister's Professional Advisory Group this term.

More information is available on the Ministry and NZQA websites.

New NCEA resources to support implementation

We have developed new resources to support schools with the implementation of the NCEA Co-requisite:

Other new resources

New vocabulary lists for the 2025 NCEA external exams will be published on the NCEA Education website:

  • Level 2 and Level 3 vocabulary lists for Asian and European languages will be available at the end of 2024.
  • Level 1 vocabulary list for Te Reo Māori and the Level 2 and Level 3 lists for Pacific Languages will be published by the start of Term 1 2025.

Resource texts for Level 1 Pacific languages and New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) are available on Tāhūrangi and will also be published on the NCEA Education website. These include:

  • Pacific Languages: 10 spoken texts and 10 written texts for each Pacific language.
  • NZSL: 10 signed texts and 10 interaction resources.

To access the resource texts, visit Tāhūrangi.

Learning Languages – Tāhūrangi

Update from ERO

Leading change is a crucial responsibility for school leaders, and 2025 is poised to be a pivotal year for all of us. Adopting a strategic and evidence-based approach to implementing change is essential for creating sustainable shifts that positively impact classrooms and student learning.

In a series of articles for this publication, the Education Review Office will share good practice that it has seen in school improvement and effective change implementation.

This first article focuses on the strategy of building a professional learning community as a means to introduce, navigate and implement revised curriculum expectations, grow the use of assessment data and embed the associated shifts in teaching practices.

You can read the article on ERO website.

Professional Learning Communities in Support of the Curriculum Implementation – Education Review Office

Further support

Curriculum Advisory Service

The Curriculum Advisory Service (CAS) is part of our regional teams and is your go-to place for any information, support or guidance when it comes to matters relating to curriculum and assessment.

The regionally based teams that make up the CAS guide and support teachers and kaiako, leaders and tumuaki in schools, kura, and early learning services and Kāhui Ako to:

  • have a better understanding of government priorities that relate to curriculum and assessment including understanding what this means for you
  • get ready for and implement curriculum and assessment change through building capability and supporting change
  • embed and sustain change overtime.

If you need curriculum support, contact your regional office.

Regional offices

Networks of Expertise and Kahu Pūtoi

We’re pleased to let you know that the Networks of Expertise and Kahu Pūtoi services have been extended until the end of 2025, with an extra 15 months being added to the current funding agreements. This means the current providers will continue to deliver their services during this time.

Kahu Pūtoi support peer-to-peer networks in te reo Māori education settings and Networks of Expertise support subject associations and other peer-to-peer networks to deliver support for teachers and kaiako.

If you are looking for this kind of support, visit Kahu Pūtoi to register.

Kahu Pūtoi

You can find more information about the Networks of Expertise here:

Networks of Expertise – PLD

Mōhiohio anō

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