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Responsible for curriculum matters, Pou Rua has had an especially consuming term of action, beginning with providing feedback on the English and Mathematics national curriculum to ERO’s independent quality assurance team. 

Members have consistently called for an extension of the implementation timeframe so that schools can fully prepare for the changes.

In August, the Minister wrote, “We acknowledge it is going to take some time for us to fully implement the New Zealand Curriculum. The current timeline for curriculum introduction, feedback, and implementation runs through until 2027.” That was a considerable softening of her position in response to the call from principals to ‘slow down’. 

Pou Rua notified members of the curriculum consultation deadlines and prepared a national statement which they submitted on behalf of NZPF.  

They also attended the Literacy Symposia in Wellington, presented by a range of structured literacy experts from across the globe.  These included Dr Anita Archer, Dr Carolyn Strom and Sarah Asome. They presented their research on and experience of structured literacy and explicit teaching. Dr Carolyn Strom explained that while speech is acquired through immersion, writing requires explicit instruction. Key messages included increasing opportunities for students to respond/give feedback, and providing opportunities to improve vocabulary. 

Pou Rua has also worked alongside Rob Proffit-White in developing webinars on mathematics to support principals with the mathematics changes to the curriculum.  The latest webinar today will give insights for a systems-level approach designed to inform, rather than instruct, school leaders.

TODAY: Wednesday 25th September, 4:00pm: Maths mastery and structured approaches for principals webinar

Pou Rua also invites you to participate in a special 25-minute hui designed to raise awareness of key terminology and concepts in the Mathematics Curriculum.

Rob Proffitt-White and the NZPF Exec will provide valuable insights, including:

• Government Report Insights: What factors were seen in  “successful” when a national investigation was commissioned in Australia.

• The right PLD: what insights do we have of programs and short term PLD impacting maths performance and participation,

• Actionable Solutions: What PLD would make a difference- what actually happens in Singapore and Finland?

• Consistent definitions for Mastery: Links and tools to promote consistency in mastery and explicit teaching.

• Current and Future Approaches: Practical tips  for leaders and teachers whether maths is a 2025 priority or not.

This brief but impactful session is designed to raise awareness and support a calmer journey in our waka through the current “curriculum waters”

This webinar will be recorded and distributed at a later date.

You can find the link here.