Curriculum updates#

Curriculum Days 2026 and 2027#

To support the successful rollout of curriculum and assessment changes, the Government has approved 4 curriculum half-days for each of the 2026 and 2027 school years. These days are for teachers and leaders to engage in professional learning and planning, focused on new curriculum content and smarter assessment approaches.

Boards may close for up to four half-days per year for this purpose. Schools will not need to make up these half-days, they are officially approved under the Education Regulations: 8(5) and 9(1).

Schools and kura must give at least 6 weeks’ advance notice to parents and whānau before delivering these days. This ensures families have time to plan and understand the purpose of the closures.

Curriculum days are part of the Government’s strategy to lift student achievement, supporting the goal of 80% of Year 8 students being at or above the expected level in reading, writing, and maths by 2030. They also align with the priorities of a clearer curriculum and smarter assessment and reporting, helping schools prepare for the new English, Te Reo Rangatira, mathematics and statistics, and pāngarau content from 2026, and the full Years 0–10 curriculum from 2027.

These days are not for general administration or other activities. They are focused on helping schools and kura get ready to teach the new curriculum.

More information about the criteria for closing is available on the website.

School opening and closing for instruction

'Make It Write': New action plan to boost student writing achievement#

The Minister of Education, Hon Erica Stanford, recently announced 'Make It Write', a targeted action plan to lift student writing achievement. The plan responds to the 2024 Curriculum Insights and Progress Study, which shows that we need to support more students to develop the fundamental writing skills and core knowledge they need as they move through primary school.

The plan focuses on 4 key areas to turn around our writing achievement:

1. Curriculum delivery.
2. Enhanced supports for students.
3. Focused professional development for teachers.
4. Focused monitoring of student progress and achievement.

Some of the key initiatives in the 'Make It Write' plan include:

• targeted PLD for specialist literacy teachers in intermediate and secondary schools in Structured Literacy Approaches (SLA) – Term 1, 2026
• a new digital writing tool for Years 6-8 to support targeted instruction – Term 1, 2026
• an updated handwriting resource for Years 0-8 – now available.

The full package of initiatives builds on our wider literacy work, including the refreshed English curriculum, phonics checks, and Structured Literacy professional learning development (PLD). We’re supporting teachers with practical, evidence-based tools to help every learner become a confident, capable writer.

We recognise the importance of supporting students learning through te reo Māori and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.

Te Ara Tohu – Rangaranga Reo ā-Tuhi provides year-by-year guidance, support, and resources for writing and handwriting in Māori-medium settings. This will be expanded to include Tau 9 and 10 by 2026.

A study, Te Tīrewa Mātai, is in development to provide valid and reliable data for Māori-medium settings. Once available, this data will help identify what’s working well and where additional support is needed.

We’ll continue to share updates as each new support becomes available, so you know what’s coming and when.

You can explore the full details of the 'Make It Write' action plan in this fact sheet.

Make It Write factsheet

Draft Progress Indicators#

Supporting schools and kura with reporting to parents and whānau

We continue to develop guidance and resources to support schools and kura with reporting progress to parents and whānau. Since releasing initial information in May, feedback from across the sector has been positive, with calls for clearer, more inclusive reporting that reflects diverse learning styles and achievements. A fifth progress descriptor (consolidating) is being trialed to sit between developing and proficient.

To help teachers and kaiako select appropriate progress descriptors | tohu aromatawai, the Ministry is developing Essential Progress Markers (EPMs) for reading, writing, maths, pānui, tuhituhi, and pāngarau. These will describe expected proficiency at each year level and align with the new SMART Assessment and Aromatawai tool launching next year.

In Term 4, schools and kura can expect:

• finalised progress descriptors
• EPMs for key learning areas
• practical guidance and templates for reporting
• support for tracking learner progress over time.

While reporting requirements remain unchanged, schools and kura must now report against the new curriculum learning areas. A downloadable statement is available to help explain the transition to parents and whānau.

See Tāhūrangi for more information.

Assessment and reporting – Reporting to parents

Updates for Years 0 to 8#

Curriculum Insights and Progress Study: 2024 maths and writing results#

The latest Curriculum Insights and Progress Study results are now available. They show that maths’ achievement for Years 3, 6 and 8 remained stable between 2023 and 2024, and writing results highlight the need for continued support to build core skills. The 2023 and 2024 results form a baseline for future reporting. Significant investments are already underway including mandated curriculum, resources and professional learning, and schools are starting to see positive shifts. A parallel study for students learning through te reo Māori, Tīrewa Mātai, is also in development.

Curriculum Insights

Full report

Reminder: Curriculum Roadshow for Leaders. Register now#

Registrations are coming in for the Curriculum Roadshow for Leaders in Term 4. Don’t miss your chance to be part of it.

This free event is designed to support education leaders of Years 0–8 learners to lead the significant changes to our national curricula.

• Events are being held in Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, and Rotorua.
• Up to 2 leaders per school or kura (including Area Schools) can attend in-person.
• Additional eligible leaders are welcome to register and join the live event online.

What’s in store

• Opening address from Hon Erica Stanford.
• Keynote by Dr Nathaniel Swain.
• Panels on structured literacy, leadership, evidence-based practice, and building a knowledge-rich curriculum.
• A resource package to guide planning with teachers and kaiako after the roadshow.

Come along to gain insights, connect with others, and lead with clarity and confidence. Register now to secure your place.

Curriculum Roadshow For Leaders

Hihira Weteoro and Phonics Checks update#

We are encouraging schools and kura to upload Phonics Checks and Hihira Weteoro results through our secure data portal (SDP).

Sharing data with us means we can aggregate results at a national level to provide insights each term that guide how we support literacy teaching and learning in schools and teaching and learning for pānui and tuhituhi in kura, while also guiding improvements to the Phonics Check and Hihira Weteoro tools.

Phonics Checks - Uploading results is now easier

Thank you to schools that have already started sharing phonics data, and those that have provided feedback on improvements we can make to streamline the process. To make uploading Phonics Checks results easier for schools, we now accept PDF marking sheets, as well as Excel marking sheets. Both formats can be processed into school-level reports. For kura, professional learning development (PLD) facilitators can support you to submit your data and all kura who submit data will receive printed pānui and tuhituhi classroom ready resources only available online.

More information

Resources and guidance needed to do the checks and upload data are available on Tāhūrangi.

Hihira Weteoro

Phonics Checks – Assessment materials

Phonics Checks – Guidance for schools

Whānau reporting now available for PATs#

The New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) have released the latest feature for Progressive Achievement Tests (PATs) - whānau reports. These are now available for PAT Pāngarau and the suite of literacy assessments, including PAT Pānui and PAT Reading Vocabulary.

PAT Pāngarau

PAT Pānui

PAT Reading Vocabulary

Whānau reports are designed to be simple summaries of how students have done in a PAT, including national averages and the margin of error.

As with all PAT information, this is intended as a snapshot and just one piece of the puzzle. They have room for teacher comments on the whānau reports and are expected to be used alongside classrooms observations and input from the whānau and students themselves.

You can access whānau reports through the NZCER Assist platform. If you have any feedback or questions, please contact the NZCER Assessment Services team.

NZCER Assist platform

Email: [email protected]

Save the date: Ordering window for Ministry-funded maths resources#

If you have not yet placed an order for 2026 Ministry-funded maths resources for Years 0-8, another ordering window will be available from 6 to 26 October, for Term 1 delivery.

If you ordered resources for 2025, you still need to place another order on Salesforce for 2026. This will ensure you receive top-up resources and digital licenses for the 2026 school year.

More information about ordering resources can be found on Tāhūrangi.

Ordering Ministry-funded maths resources Tāhūrangi

Updates for Years 9 to 13#

Reminder - have your say on a proposal to replace NCEA#

Remember to have your say on the proposal to replace NCEA with a new qualification pathway – one that is more credible, consistent, and easier for people to understand.

Everyone has a stake in the success of our young people, which is why it’s important that everyone gets a chance to have their say.

Consultation is open until 15 September and, if you haven’t already, we really encourage you to read through the proposal and provide feedback.

You’ll find all the information about this proposed change, including details about how you can have your say, on the website. We’ve now added a ‘frequently asked questions’ section to the consultation page, together with summaries of the Discussion document in te reo Māori and some Pacific languages (we are adding to these over time).

Have your say

If you have any questions about the consultation, you can email us.

Email: [email protected]

Te Marautanga o Aotearoa#

Rauemi recently delivered into kura#

A wide range of refreshed and new resources were delivered into kura across Terms 1 and 2 to support teaching and learning in Te Reo Rangatira and Pāngarau wāhanga ako for Tau 0–8.

Te Reo Rangatira

• Rangaranga Reo ā-Tā: Tūārere 1, 2 and 3 kaiako guidance that includes lessons and activities aligned to different Mata Ako.
• Starter kits (Tau 0-3, 4-6, 7-8): Classroom ready resources like alphabet friezes, waiata posters, word cards, syntax and cards, and more.
• Ngā Kete Kōrero decodables: 10 new readers at Kiekie level to support the teaching of phonics.

Pāngarau

• Poutama Pāngarau Akoranga cards and guidance books: Covering all Mata Ako across Tau 0-8.
• Pīpī Pāngarau (Tau 0-1): Hands-on activities for ākonga and support materials for kaiako.
• Tihei Pāngarau (Tūārere 2-3): Refreshed student books and teacher guides.
• Taku Whare Pāngarau (Tau 7-8): New resources that connect pāngarau learning to everyday life.
• He Tau Anō Te Tau: 6 updated titles aligned with the redesigned Pāngarau wāhanga ako.

All resources are available on Tāhūrangi, with some also available via Down the Back of the Chair for order.

Down the Back of the Chair

Update from ERO national review centre#

Curriculum rollout findings#

The Education Review Office (ERO) has been engaging with schools about the rollout of the English and mathematics and statistics curriculum. Their findings will be published in the next few months. A link will be shared through this newsletter, and the report will also be available on ERO’s website.

ERO

PLD review#

ERO’s review of professional learning and development (PLD) for teachers is expected to be released soon. It will provide insights into how PLD is being delivered across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Resources for school leaders#

ERO is also developing a suite of practical resources to support school leaders in making the most of teachers’ PLD. These will include short, targeted guides and a decision-making framework tool.

More resources and supports#

Updated guidance on Generative AI#

We recently updated our guidance on the use of generative artificial intelligence (genAI) for school leaders and teachers.

Generative AI

The updated guidance includes:

• guidelines on how school and kura assessment policy should cover genAI use
• information and rules about genAI use in assessments and NCEA
• a ‘Frequently asked questions’ resource for teachers and school leaders with practical examples
• case studies of how 2 secondary schools have undertaken school-wide responses to the advent of genAI.

More work is underway to provide more detailed guidance on the use of AI for marking. We will update our genAI page when this is available.

We encourage you to review this guidance, share it with your colleagues, and consider its implications for your practice.