Attendance, achievement and assessment#

Attendance Management Plans#

From Term 1 2026, you will be required to have an Attendance Management Plan (AMP) in place. These plans aim to improve student attendance by providing clear pathways to identify and address absences at different thresholds. Given that the formal requirements around AMPs were passed late in the school year, our focus in Term 1 2026 will primarily be to support you as you implement your AMPs.

For more information, visit:

Attendance Management Plans

Attendance data collections updates#

At the end of the term, we generate your provisional Every Day Matters (EDM) report, based on the attendance data we have received. We will be sending your next reports from 22 December. So that your EDM report is accurate, have your attendance data up to date by 19 December.

For advice on recording attendance during strike or partial strike action, visit:

Industrial action guidance for school boards – New Zealand School Boards Association

If your school closed, or partially closed, while removing coloured sand, refer to the specific attendance advice provided in the 21 November Special Bulletin:

Special Bulletin 21 November

Our final data quality reports to relevant schools will be sent on 15 December.

Resources to support recording ākonga | student attendance can be found at:

Attendance codes

Daily attendance reporting

Attendance webinars#

A recording and transcript from our recent webinar ‘ERO raising attendance: 5 good practices’ is available on our website, along with questions and answers from the session.

Attendance webinars

Early in Term 1, 2026 we will be running a webinar on attendance service reform. As more webinars are confirmed, details will be advised via the Bulletin.

Preparing for the new attendance service#

All active attendance service cases will transition to the new attendance service from 1 January 2026.

We have published guidance to help you determine when to refer ākonga to an attendance service provider. You can use the guidance to inform your attendance management plan, and for considering when you will request attendance services support.

Attendance services

For details on preparing for the new attendance service, including referral deadlines, finding your provider, assigning staff access to the new case management system, and upcoming training at the start of Term 1 2026 also refer to the attendance services webpage in this article.

Positive impacts of ‘Phones Away for the Day’#

The Education Review Office’s (ERO) recent report on removing cell phones from classrooms shows a positive impact on classroom teaching and on students’ focus and learning, as well as improving behaviour and attitudes towards school.

ERO found that nearly all schools have adopted the ‘Phones Away for the Day’ policy, though implementation and enforcement vary.

The report’s findings and recommendations offer practical suggestions for improving management of your policy to further improve student learning and wellbeing.

The requirement for state-school boards to prohibit students from using or accessing cell phones at all times while they are attending school had to be in effect no later than 29 April 2024. Note cell phone use is important in certain circumstances, for example if it’s connected with a student’s health, disability or learning support need.

For more information, visit:

Education Review Office report – Do not disturb: A review of removing cell phones from New Zealand’s classrooms – Summary – Education Review Office

Education (School Boards) Regulations 2020 – Clause 22: Duty to prohibit the use or access of mobile phones – New Zealand Legislation

Reporting to parents and whānau new guidance available#

Full teacher and kaiako guidance for reporting to parents and whānau has been released to use from next year when reporting against the English, Mathematics and Statistics learning areas for Years 0 to 10 New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) and Pānui, Tuhituhi and Pāngarau wāhanga ako for Tau 0 to 10 Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (TMoA).

It includes a comprehensive guidance document and example reports.

There is an explanation of the expected common components in reports to parents and whānau, and information about upcoming webinars and guidance videos.

For more information go to:

Reporting to parents and whānau –Tāhūrangi 

Reporting to parents and whānau – Guidance for kaiako on TMoA – Tāhūrangi

Maths resource alignment guides available#

Following the release of the updated Maths and Statistics learning area for Years 0 to 8, the four suppliers of Ministry-funded maths resources have each developed a maths resource alignment guide.

These guides are available on Tāhūrangi and will support you to use existing Maths resources with the updated Maths and Statistics learning area for next year. Find them at:

Ordering Ministry-funded maths resources – Tāhūrangi

Ministry-funded digital maths resources for Years 9 and 10#

New Ministry-funded digital Maths resources will be available in Term 1 2026 to Year 9 and 10 ākonga and kaiako. The resources will include e-textbooks, lesson plans, formative and summative assessments, and opportunities to enable and extend ākonga. There will also be downloadable teaching and learning content available to print.

More information will be available in February 2026, including how to access the resources, teacher training, and the application process for digital licenses.

Tīrewa Mātai phase one underway#

Phase one of Tīrewa Mātai is underway with participating kura. This is a significant step in strengthening how our system supports kaupapa Māori and Māori-medium education through robust, relevant evidence.

This is Aotearoa’s first national monitoring study for mokopuna learning through te reo Māori. Led by Rangahau Mātauranga o Aotearoa (NZCER), it will measure progress and achievement at Tau 3, 6, and 8 against Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.

Insights will help shape curriculum design, making sure mokopuna, whānau, kaiako and kura have the right resources to support progress and success. Phase 1 focuses on Te Reo Rangatira and Pāngarau, with the first report due mid-2026.

New platform for Phonics Checks and Hihira Weteoro#

In Term 1 2026, we are launching a new platform to help streamline administration and reporting for the Phonics Checks and Hihira Weteoro. An overview of this platform is available at:

Online Phonics Check in 2026 – Tāhūrangi

Hihira Weteoro – Tāhūrangi

We will also provide additional guidance to support you to confidently administer and use information from the checks in Term 1.

A reminder to upload Term 4 2025 Phonics Checks and Hihira Weteoro results to the SDP by 23 January 2026 so they are included in your Term 4 2025 report.

Timing for Te Marautanga o Aotearoa release#

We expect to release the draft Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (TMoA) framework and Tau 0 to10 wāhanga ako (Pūtaiao, Te Ao Māori, Waiora, Toi Ihiihi, Hangarau, Ngā Reo, and Te Reo Pākeha) for consultation on 28 January 2026.

This is an important milestone in Māori-immersion education, so we’ve taken the extra time to make sure we’re releasing the best possible version for you to consider and provide feedback on, up to 24 April 2026.

Timing for release of draft Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and Years 0–10 wāhanga ako – Tāhūrangi

In-class trialling of draft learning areas and wāhanga ako for Years 0 to 10#

To support a genuine and authentic engagement process of the draft Years 0 to 10 NZC and TMoA curriculum content, you are invited to participate in the in-class trialling running 2 March to 2 April 2026.

Your insights into teaching practices around this draft content are invaluable to help shape the draft Years 0 to 10 learning areas and wāhanga ako ahead of the mid-2026 curriculum release.

During the consultation process, we are keen to hear from you as you engage with this content in your classrooms, and as part of your planning for your ākonga.

Registrations are open now until 9 February 2026 for schools and kura across Years | Tau 0 to 10 who wish to participate during Term 1, 2026.

Further details can be found at:

In-class trialling of draft learning areas and wāhanga ako – Tāhūrangi

In-class trialling of draft learning areas and wāhanga ako (TMoA) – Tāhūrangi

Summer Reading | Pānui Challenge for Years 0 to 8#

The Summer Reading | Pānui Challenge: Read with Me, developed in collaboration with Duffy Books in Homes, encourages ākonga | students going into Years 0 to 8 and their whānau to track the days they've read together over the summer holidays.

Those students who complete and return the tracker form to their school or kura by 20 February 2026 will receive a badge and certificate. Simply email [email protected] by 6 March 2026, stating how many badges and certificates are needed.

Find out more on Tāhūrangi:

Summer Reading | Pānui Challenge: Read with Me – Tāhūrangi

Teacher-only day Term 1 2026 resources – Roadshow FAQs, videos and activity guides#

Visit the dedicated Tāhūrangi page to help you plan for teacher-only days in Term 1 for Years 0 to 10. We have added Roadshow presentation videos featuring the curriculum framework, learning area structure, and the science of learning, plus activity guides to help teachers reflect and apply ideas in practice.

You can also explore key questions and answers from the Curriculum Roadshow to support understanding of the curriculum refresh in the frequently asked questions (FAQs) section.

To check out the resources, visit:

Teacher-only Day planning resources, Term 1 2026 – Tāhūrangi

Resources for the updated National Curriculum#

We are currently developing a range of tools and supporting resources to help you teach the updated New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.

You can find links to resources as they become available at:

Supporting you to deliver the updated National Curriculum (NZC) – Tāhūrangi

Supporting you to deliver the updated National Curriculum (TMoA) – Tāhūrangi

Recordings on unpacking the NZC learning areas#

We recently held a series of online presentations to unpack each of the NZC learning areas.

The session recordings are now available on Tāhūrangi and cover:

• an overview of Te Mātaiaho, a knowledge-rich curriculum, capabilities, and the structure of the learning area, before going into the specific learning area
• changes to notice
• where to find more information and suggested next steps.

Presentations – Unpacking the NZC learning areas – Tāhūrangi

SMART Familiarisation site now available#

You can access the SMART (Student Monitoring Assessment and Reporting Tool) familiarisation site, which provides a first look at the SMART assessment experience ahead of full rollout in 2026.

The familiarisation site offers:

• a preview of the types of questions and scenarios learners will encounter in SMART assessments
• interactive tools such as rulers and calculators.

The site is designed for exploration only, to build confidence with SMART before formal assessments begin in 2026. No data is captured or stored.

The Familiarisation site is available at the following links:

New Zealand Curriculum:

Familiarisation experience

Te Marautanga o Aotearoa: 

Wheako Whai Taunga

For more information on SMART, you can visit Tāhūrangi or contact your regional office:

SMART Overview – Tāhūrangi

Regional offices

Health, safety and wellbeing#

More coloured sand products recalled#

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has issued a product recall for the Licensed Sensory Activity Sets: Frozen, Bluey and Paw Patrol (keycodes: 43625239; 43610266; 43610259) sold at Kmart from 8 October 2025 to 17 November 2025.

Licensed Sensory Activity Sets: Frozen, Bluey and Paw Patrol – Product Safety New Zealand

For the latest on sand product recalls, go to the Product Safety New Zealand website:

Recalled products – Product Safety New Zealand

Advice remains the same for schools

If you find the product, stop using it immediately, secure it, and dispose of it safely.

For more information on how to manage the recalled sand products in your facilities, and on asbestos record-keeping, visit our website:

Asbestos in coloured sand

Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 – New Zealand Legislation

Key contacts

For health concerns:

Call Healthline on 0800 611 116

For questions regarding workplace disposal:

Call WorkSafe on 0800 030 040 (available over the weekend)

For public recalls:

Call Product Safety on 0508 426 678

For advice for schools:

Phone 0800 323 323 from 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday or email [email protected].

Protect against measles, whooping cough and meningococcal disease#

Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent these illnesses.

Encourage staff and your wider community to check their immunisation status.

My Health Record – Health New Zealand

Staff and community members can call the free vaccination helpline on 0800 28 29 26 for advice about vaccines or immunisation records. The helpline is available from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week.

More guidance about measles can be found in our 30 October Special Bulletin:

Special Bulletin 30 October 2025

End-of-year property checklist#

As the end of term approaches, make sure you:

• have contact details for the emergency response coordinators for your region in the event your school is damaged as the result of fire, flood or extreme weather

Emergency response coordinator contacts

• remove external material that could be used to start fires. Visit the Fire and Emergency New Zealand website for more information on protecting your school and assets

Protecting your school from arson – Fire and Emergency New Zealand

• have holiday management procedures in place for swimming pool areas and check that your Board is aware of their health and safety responsibilities for everyone using it, including after-school use by the wider community. Further information on health and safety standards for running school pools is available at:

Health and safety responsibilities for school pools

Check your insurance is current and provides enough cover. Information on contents and property insurance can be found at:

School building insurance funding programme

Contents, liability and cyber insurance

Workforce and resourcing#

Key resourcing dates for 2026#

Note deadlines and application periods so that your school is accurately staffed and funded in 2026. Publish dates refer to when information is visible in Pourato. A PDF and a visual graphic of these dates are available to download at:

Key dates for school staffing and funding

Estimated pay equity and collective agreement funding – 1 January 2026#

On 1 January 2026, state and state-integrated schools and kura will receive the next instalment of estimated funding for non-teaching pay equity settlements and collective agreements.

Payment will be made via Pourato under the payment type ‘Non-teach support PE and CA funding’. A letter detailing the estimated funding will be made available via the secure data portal (SDP) on 19 December.

We encourage you to download and retain a copy of the funding letter from the SDP, as it will only be available for a 6-month period.

To find out more about pay equity settlements and collective agreements, visit:

Pay equity funding

Any patai, email [email protected].

Reinstatement of salary unit and management allowance monitoring from 2026#

From next year, we will be reinstating a process to monitor your usage of salary units and management allowances on a quarterly basis. Recovery of overuse will commence from 2027.

This phased approach will provide you with a full year of monitoring before recovery is implemented, and allow you to take corrective action, if necessary, to stay within entitlement. Schools that are in overuse will receive a detailed quarterly report showing salary units and management allowance allocations by pay period.

Recovery for overuse from 2027 will be made from your quarterly operational funding instalment, at the current rates in the applicable collective agreement. A review and appeal process will be available. The first quarterly recovery will occur in July 2027.

More information on the process will be provided early next year.

Settlement of the Community Education Collective Agreement#

A Circular is available about the recently ratified Community Education Collective Agreement 2025–2028, effective from 28 November for 26 months. It covers employees who deliver adult and community education programmes or out-of-hours music and arts programmes. An individual employment agreement for employees who are not covered by the collective agreement will be available on our website before the end of this year.

Circular 2025/05: Settlement of the Community Education Collective Agreement

Any questions, contact Te Whakarōpūtanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa | NZ School Boards Association Advisory Support Centre.

Phone: 0800 782 435

Email: [email protected]

Governance, planning and infrastructure#

Education System Reform Bill – Submissions close 14 January 2026#

Public submissions on the Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Bill can be made, in English and te reo Māori, until 14 January 2026, through Parliament’s website:

Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Bill – New Zealand Parliament

Find out more about the proposed changes and read the Bill at:

Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Bill

Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Bill – New Zealand Parliament

Trial next year to self-manage property services#

We are developing options for those schools who want to become more autonomous in managing and delivering their property services.

We will share the expression of interest (EOI) process in this bulletin for those schools who are interested in being considered for the trial.

This work is part of our school property improvements. You can read more about this mahi, and the New Zealand school property agency at:

School property improvements