Kaihautū Whakahaere Update

Date: 1 Sep 2026

We are well into Term 3, and it has been a busy stretch across the sector. Thank you for the mahi you continue to put in, usually while managing a great deal else.

The final curriculum arrives on 9 September

The Ministry of Education has confirmed that the complete Years 0 to 10 National Curriculum will be published by 9 September. This includes Health and Physical Education. It will go up on Tāhūrangi as PDFs first, with full web pages later in the year, alongside reports summarising what the Ministry heard during consultation and how it responded.

We are looking forward to seeing it. Thanks again to everyone who made a submission or joined one of our webinars. That collective effort matters, and it has shaped the advice PENZ has provided throughout.

What applies, and when

There is understandable confusion about implementation dates, so it is worth setting them out plainly.

• Years 9 and 10: the new curriculum must be taught from the start of 2027.
• Years 0 to 8: Health and Physical Education is not required until 2029, although schools that are ready may start earlier.
• Years 11 to 13: the final curriculum is expected later this year, with implementation staged from 2028.

The most immediate work sits with Years 9 and 10. If your school is planning for 2027, that is where to begin. For primary and intermediate colleagues, the extra time is genuine, and it is best used to build understanding rather than to wait.

Support is available now

Between April and July, PENZ supported more than 1,000 teachers through webinars, conference workshops, regional professional learning and one to one advice. That support continues, and it is open to everyone.

Our webinar recordings and curriculum resources are on the PENZ website. If you have a question about planning, assessment or programme design, please get in touch. We would far rather hear from you early than have you working it out on your own.

Tai Tōrua in Hawke's Bay

More than 50 teachers joined us in Hawke's Bay on 5 August for a Tai Tōrua PLD day. Thank you to our regional partners, whose local knowledge and organisation are what make these days work.

Big Day Out, Term 4

Planning is well advanced for this year's Big Day Out series. The focus will be on turning the new curriculum into programme design and classroom practice for secondary teachers. Dates and locations are available on the PENZ website.

2027 Conference and our 90th year

Registrations and the call for papers for the 2027 PENZ Conference open on 1 October. The conference will be held in Wellington, will again have an international focus, and will mark 90 years of PENZ. If you have been trialling something in your own setting, now is the time to start thinking about an abstract. There will be a great deal worth sharing next year.

Thank you, as always, for your support of PENZ and the work we do together. I hope the rest of Term 3 treats you kindly.

Ngā mihi nui,

Heemi