Attendance, achievement and assessment#

Tīrewa Mātai: A national monitoring study for Te Marautanga o Aotearoa#

Development has started on Tīrewa Mātai – the first national monitoring study designed specifically to understand the progress of students' learning through te reo Māori. Data from the study will inform curriculum design, policy decisions and resource development.

We are currently looking for a provider to deliver Tīrewa Mātai, whose first milestone will be publishing a report on the Pāngarau and Te Reo Rangatira wāhanga ako by Term 2 next year. Reports on the other wāhanga ako will follow from 2026, and you’ll have the opportunity to provide feedback throughout.

Read more here:

World's first national monitoring study for Te Marautanga o Aotearoa – Tāhūrangi

NCEA co-requisite support webinars#

Teachers and leaders can register for a series of webinars that support the implementation of the literacy and numeracy co-requisite. The sessions focus on:

• accelerating literacy and numeracy using science of learning practices
• assessment for learning and assessment literacy for acceleration
• supporting English language learners with NCEA literacy.

A total of 6 webinars are scheduled before the end of July. Webinars will take place from 3.30pm to 4.30pm, and recordings will be available on the NCEA website.

Find out more and register at:

NCEA co-requisite support webinars – Evaluation Associates

Term 1 reports for phonics checks available#

School-level reports of Term 1 phonics checks results are now available. Those who shared results with us can download their own report from our secure data portal (SDP).

The reports include national norms and an analysis of student progress and achievement. They will help you to understand your results, plan literacy teaching and learning and track progress. A reminder that you’ll need to share your phonic check results with us by using Excel to generate a report. Find out how to access the Microsoft suite for free:

Microsoft software licences for schools

For more information, visit:

Phonics checks – Guidance for schools – Tāhūrangi

New toolkit for supporting gifted learners available#

A toolkit focused on supporting gifted learners is available for Learning Support Coordinators (LSC) and other support staff. It was created by LSCs to address common myths and misconceptions about gifted education.

The toolkit provides practical strategies for creating an inclusive and nurturing learning environment with a range of videos, frameworks and templates. You can find it at:

Supporting teachers of gifted learners – a toolkit for LSCs - Tāhūrangi

New progress descriptors for feedback  #

You and your staff are invited to provide feedback on draft descriptors that teachers and kaiako will use across all schools and kura to support consistent reporting to parents and whānau. These descriptors will provide consistent language for reporting and help teachers and kaiako to determine student progress against new curriculum expectations.

There’s no requirement to use the descriptors this year, but you can choose to use them.

Draft descriptors are available at:

Reporting to parents and whānau – Tāhūrangi

Email feedback to [email protected] by 30 June.

Kōtui Ako Virtual Learning Network Primary Programmes registration open for Terms 3 and 4#

Extend curriculum choices for your learners and increase your school's confidence and capability in online learning. A wide range of language programmes are available including te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, along with numeracy, literacy, financial literacy, digital technologies, science and creative arts.

Find out more and register your interest at:

Registrations for semester 2 primary programmes are now open – Kōtui Ako

Update on Years 0 to 8 maths PLD days#

Applications for Term 3 maths PLD days have now been finalised. Schools can continue to apply for maths PLD days in Term 4 and 2026, provided requests are submitted by the end of week 5 of the term before.

You can read more and apply on our website by clicking ‘submit your request for maths PLD’:

How to request the PLD – Professional Learning and Development

Advance notice of application opportunity – Attendance services provider#

We are planning to open an application process in mid-June inviting interested schools to apply as a provider of attendance services for defined groupings of schools (catchment areas).

Further details are available here:

Apply to be an attendance service provider

Reminder – Feedback on Stepped Attendance Response (STAR)#

We have published the Stepped Attendance Response (STAR) and supporting resources to guide attendance practice and are seeking feedback to understand what works well, and where improvements may be needed. A survey for those who wish to provide feedback is available until the end of Term 2 at:

Stepped Attendance Response – STAR

Prosecutions for non-attendance and non-enrolment#

Parents and legal guardians are required to:

• enrol their child at a registered school when they turn six-years-old
• make sure their child (including enrolled five-year-olds) attends school every day the school is open until they are at least 16 years old.

Failure to do so can result in prosecution of parents under Sections 243 and 244 of the Education and Training Act 2020.

As part of our work on improving attendance, we have received a range of feedback that school leaders and attendance services would like us to take a more active role in leading prosecutions for serious cases of non-attendance and/or non-enrolment. Prosecution is a last resort when all other attempts to return a student | ākonga to regular attendance have failed, and there is clearly an unwillingness from parents to comply with the law.

If you are aware of a case where parents and legal guardians are not fulfilling their legal obligations in relation to school attendance, we are able to investigate and may decide to undertake prosecution.

Please work with your local attendance service provider in the first instance and when you agree that it is time to notify us of a potential case contact [email protected] or discuss it with your local Ministry office.

Regional offices

Consideration of whether prosecution is an appropriate action will be in accordance with the Ministry’s Prosecution and Warnings Policy:

Prosecution and Warnings Policy 2025 [PDF, 213KB]

Opening and closing schools for instruction guidance#

The following guidance outlines what we consider open for instruction to mean and provides information on how to meet the requirements under the Education (when state schools must be open and closed) Regulations 2024.

School opening and closing for instruction

June 2 to 6 is Schools’ Pride Week Aotearoa#

This week is Schools’ Pride week Aotearoa. If you would like more information and resources to support your celebration, you can find them at:

Schools’ Pride Week Aotearoa – InsideOUT

Workforce and resourcing#

Operational funding#

The Quarter 3 operational funding instalment will be published on 19 June and paid on 1 July. If you have any questions, contact us.

Email: [email protected]

Kaupapa Māoriand MāoriMedium EBITE funding award launching for 2026#

The Kaupapa Māori | Māori Medium Employment Based Initial Teacher Education (EBITE) programme funding award is a two-year teacher training initiative designed specifically to address the critical shortage of qualified teachers in immersions settings and teaching te reo Māori as a subject.

The funding award specifically supports those on a limited authority to teach (LAT) to become qualified kaiako while continuing to work in schools or kura.

Applications are open until 31 July for study beginning in 2026.

Schools and kura can apply for a funding award of up to $59,680.95 (excluding GST) over two years for mentoring and release time. You can read more about EBITE and about your eligibility and how to apply at:

Kaupapa Māori | Māori Medium EBITE Programme Funding Award – Education Workforce

Governance, planning and infrastructure#

Public consultation on major vocational education reforms#

The public can now give feedback on the Education and Training (Vocational Education and Training System) Amendment Bill. The proposed changes aim to reshape vocational education to better align with regional needs and industry expectations. Select Committee consultation closes on 18 June.

You are encouraged to review the Bill and submit feedback by 18 June:

Education and Training (Vocational Education and Training System) Amendment Bill – New Zealand Legislation

Education and Training Amendment Bill submissions – New Zealand Parliament

For more information, visit:

Redesign of vocational education and training system

School board elections#

This is an election year, so it is time for you to set an election date between 3 and 19 September and appoint your returning officer.

More information about elections, provider services and accredited electronic election providers are on our website at:

Triennial school board elections

You can use the election planner tool from Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura O Aotearoa (formerly NZSTA) to help you plan the school board elections.

Election planner tool – School Board Elections

Redress announcements#

We run a sensitive claims process for individuals who believe they were abused or neglected at school and are seeking some form of redress. Information on our process is available at:

Sensitive claims of abuse in state school

On 9 May, Minister of Education, Hon Erica Stanford, made a number of redress announcements in her capacity as Lead Minister for the Crown Response to the Royal Commission of Abuse in State Care.

Budget 2025 invests in care system and improving redress for survivors of abuse in state care – Beehive

The Government will receive further advice later this year on the inclusion of claims that currently sit with school boards. We will undertake consultation with takiwā and school boards in the coming months to contribute to this advice.

If you have any questions about our claims process, or the redress announcements, contact Jenna-Faith Allan.

Email: [email protected]

New dates for converting schools announced#

The next round of expressions of interest is open for state and state-integrated schools considering converting to charter schools. Schools that convert will operate with greater autonomy while being held to higher standards for student achievement and attendance.

Charter schools receive comparable per-student funding to state and state-integrated schools but have the flexibility to allocate resources in ways that best support their students. This includes control over staffing decisions and curriculum design.

The first step in the process for those schools interested in converting next year is submitting an expression of interest, which is due by 5pm, 16 July. You will be supported to submit your full application over the following months.

We encourage you to contact us with any questions, or for guidance on the application process.

Email: [email protected]

Converting schools – Charter School Agency