This is Part Three of five articles this term, where we will be doing a deep dive into changes to the curriculum and reporting to parents.

National Curriculum Changes

The intent of the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum is that it will become more knowledge-rich and clear about what students need to understand, know, and do from Years 0 to 13. Student learning is informed by the science of learning, providing teachers with effective, evidence-based teaching strategies and practices. These practices will be embedded in the national curriculum alongside the knowledge, skills, and capabilities students need to develop.

A notable change is the redefinition of curriculum levels (from the 2007 NZC) into phases of learning within a progression model. In this model, progress outcomes will replace Achievement Objectives.

This progression model offers clarity regarding the direction of learning and the key outcomes across these phases. It helps teachers/kaiako, students/ākonga, and parents/whānau understand what is important and how learning evolves over time. By ‘chunking’ learning into phases, the progress outlined in The New Zealand Curriculum becomes more visible and manageable.

The Five Phases of Learning compared to the Curriculum Levels:

Using the two phases of learning, we have reconfigured the curriculum expectation tables and language, in line with MOE guidance. This is what you can expect to see in the mid-year report.

The expectation of the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum | Te Mātaiaho is that learners are working at their year level for mathematics and literacy (reading, writing and oral language). 

The coloured shading with your child's levels for oral language, reading, writing and maths relates to the expected levels for achievement by the end of the year.

A key to support understanding is shown here.