Early use of curriculum learning areas and new core teaching requirements

In response to feedback from teachers, schools, communities and whānau, we’re looking at how we can help schools teach literacy, communications and maths.

These essential skills are critical factors in the journey from early learning through to the end of secondary education and beyond, contributing to students’ wellbeing and giving them choices about future study and work.    

To this end, on 21 August 2023 the Minister of Education announced changes designed to improve teaching and learning of these essential skills.

Early implementation of updated curriculum areas and use of practise frameworks

  • From 2025, schools must use the new mathematics and statistics, and English learning areas from Te Mātaiaho, the refreshed NZ curriculum, which were released in May this year.
  • From 2026, all school will use the Common Practice Model when teaching literacy, communication and maths.
  • From 2025, Māori-medium settings (rumaki and bilingual units) must use the new Te Reo Māori and Pāngarau areas of the redesigned Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.
  • From the start of 2026, Māori-medium settings (rumaki and bilingual units) will be required to use the Ako Framework (the equivalent of the Common Practice Model).
  • Separate discussions will be held with kaupapa Māori education organisations on how to enhance te reo matatini and pāngarau teaching and learning in their settings.

Read the Minister’s press release:

Compulsory teaching requirements for maths, reading and writing – Beehive.govt.nz(external link)

Teachers and school leaders can rest assured they will have guidance and access to professional learning to implement these changes, including support from recently introduced Curriculum Leads and Leadership Advisers.

Information on the Common Practice Model is available now and a full support package will be available from the start of 2024.

There will be a phased approach to implementing the Ako Framework, starting with testing by kaiako from Term 3 2023, ready for use from 2024. 

More information

Find out more about the Common Practice Model and how it is being developed:

Common Practice Model

Check out our resources, including an example of what you can expect to see in the Common Practice Model:

Common Practice Model resources

Learn more about the curriculum refresh:

Refreshing The New Zealand Curriculum(external link)

For all other questions about these changes, email enquiries.national@education.govt.nz

FAQs

What’s changing?

On 21 August 2023, Minister of Education Hon Jan Tinetti announced new requirements to help lift achievement of maths and literacy. 

From 2025:

  • Schools must use the new mathematics and statistics, and English learning areas from Te Mātaiaho, the refreshed NZ curriculum, which were released in May this year.
  • Māori-medium settings (rumaki and bi-lingual units) must use the new Te Reo Māori and Pāngarau areas of the redesigned Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. 

From 2026:

  • All school will use the Common Practice Model when teaching literacy, communication and maths.
  • Māori-medium settings (rumaki and bilingual units) will be required to use the Ako Framework (the equivalent of the Common Practice Model).

Separate discussions will be held with kaupapa Māori education organisations on how to enhance te reo matatini and pāngarau teaching and learning in their settings.

How will the new requirements get introduced?

The new requirements will be regulated by issuing them in the New Zealand Gazette as foundational curriculum policy statements. This will make them part of school boards’ curriculum regulatory requirements under the Education and Training Act 2020.

The Ministry will work with NZSTA to provide advice to boards on what this means and their responsibilities. We will also be working with school leaders to support and provide guidance on how to use the Common Practice Model in their schools.

Who is responsible for making sure the changes are implemented?

The use of the National Curriculum and the practice models will become part of school boards’ curriculum regulatory requirements as the rest of the curricula are now.

School leaders play a big role in leading changes in their school we know they will want to be actively involved in engaging, enacting and embedding changes to support their students. 

School boards, as the employer, are responsible for ensuring their principal and staff meet their curriculum duties. This will include the practice models as part of curriculum requirements places the obligation of ensuring they are used, on the board. We will be working with NZSTA to provide clear guidance to boards on their role and the implications of this.

The Education Review Office (ERO) is responsible for reviewing whether schools and kura are meeting regulatory requirements. Schools will need to attest compliance through the Board Assurance Statement completed as part of ERO reviews.

What does this mean for kaupapa Māori education settings?

Throughout 2024, kura and Māori-medium settings using Te Marautanga o Aotearoa will have the opportunity to review the framework for Te Tīrewa Marautanga while testing Te Reo Māori and Pāngarau Tīrewa Mātāmua alongside the Ako Framework.

The Ako Framework guides the use of Te Reo Māori and Pāngarau Tīrewa Mātāmua from Te Tīrewa Marautanga | the redesigned Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. These will be available for schools and kura to engage with at the beginning of 2024.

Phase one of the Ako Framework focuses on having wānanga, with kaupapa Māori, Māori-medium and iwi, about the principles, the pedagogical approaches, and the practices needed to support quality learning outcomes of te reo matatini and pāngarau across the curriculum.

Will these teaching models be used in early learning settings?

We are developing Kōwhiti Whakapae, an online progress and practice tool, which will provide the early learning practices of the Common Practice Model and support teachers as they implement the full framework of Te Whāriki in early learning.

The social and emotional practices and progressions will be launched in September 2024 with the Oral Language and Literacy, and Maths practices and progressions due for release in June 2024.

The tool will be supported by kaiako and whānau guides. At this stage there is no intention for Kōwhiti Whakapae or the Ako Framework to become a regulated requirement in early learning settings.

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