The Ministry is two years into a six-year programme to refresh The New Zealand Curriculum. The updated draft of Te Mātaiaho | the refreshed NZ curriculum is expected to be released in Term 4, 2023. Te Mātaiaho means “to observe and examine the strands of learning.” This name was gifted by Dr Wayne Ngata and members of our Rōpū Kaitiaki.

Te Mātaiaho will still have eight learning areas, which are being developed and released in phases.

Schools and kura have until the beginning of 2027 to start using the fully refreshed curriculum, although they must use the refreshed Mathematics, Statistics and English learning areas from the start of 2025.

The final draft of Te Mātaiaho is expected to be released in Term 4, 2023.

• Te ao tangata | social sciences was released in November 2022, and the new Aotearoa New Zealand's histories must now be taught in all schools.
• English is now available to be explored and used in schools and kura. It must be used from 2025.
• Mathematics and statistics is now available to be explored and used in schools and kura. It must be used from 2025.
• Science is in development for release in 2024.
• Technology is in development for release in 2024.
• The arts is in development for release in 2024.
• Health and physical education is in development for release in 2025.
• Learning languages is in development for release in 2025.

The refreshed curriculum will be progression-focused, rather than outcomes-focused.

Curriculum levels and achievement objectives will be replaced with five phases of learning: Years 1-3, Years 4-6, Years 7-8, Years 9-10 and Years 11-13.

Understand, Know, Do: A progression-focused curriculum

Each of the five phases of learning contains progress outcomes that describe what students should understand, know, and do by the end of each phase.

Students deepen their understanding of the big ideas (understand), as they explore the context (know), using critical practices (do).

Each phase is cumulative, building on the last and increasingly complex as students progress.

The model is designed to make it easier for teachers to create rich and responsive learning, and puts students – their voices, wellbeing, and aspirations – at the centre of learning.

When using progressions, assessment for learning is an ongoing process, integral to teaching and learning.