Kaihautū Whakahaere Update

Date: 9 Oct 2026

Term 4 is always busy, and this year there is the added challenge of preparing for a new curriculum. I know many of you are already working through what this means for your programmes, alongside everything else that comes with the end of the year.

The final curriculum is here

The final Years 0–10 Health and Physical Education curriculum is now available on Tāhūrangi.

We have published a fuller PENZ statement on our website, but overall, the final curriculum represents a significant improvement on the draft released last year. A number of the concerns raised by PENZ, kaiako and the wider Physical Education community are reflected in the changes.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this process through submissions, webinars, hui and conversations with us. Your collective voice made a difference.

There are still some areas that need clarification. We are working through these with the Ministry of Education and will share further guidance as we have it. As you begin working with the curriculum, please let us know if you identify anything that needs further consideration.

The timeframe is tight

One message we continue to hear from kaiako is that the implementation timeframe is short. We agree.

Here is where things currently stand:

• Years 9–10: the new curriculum must be taught from the beginning of 2027.
• Years 0–8: the new Health and Physical Education curriculum is not required until 2029, although schools can begin implementation earlier.
• Years 11–13: the final Phase 5 curriculum was published on 8 October, with implementation staged from 2028.

Our immediate priority is supporting Years 9 and 10, where the implementation pressure is greatest.

With Phase 5 now available, we will take some time to unpack it properly and develop support and resources over the coming months. There is no need for secondary departments to try to solve Phase 5 this term.

For those planning Years 9 and 10, you also do not need to rebuild everything from scratch. Start with what you already do well. Map your existing programme against the new curriculum, identify what needs to change or be strengthened, and focus your time there.

Big Day Out: 10–25 November

This year’s Big Day Out series has been designed specifically to support Years 9 and 10 implementation.

The day will help you understand what the new curriculum is asking, explore the curriculum through practical workshops, and spend dedicated time working on your 2027 programme and planning.

If you can, come as a department. Having the time to work through this together will be valuable.

Registrations are open through the PENZ events page. PENZ members receive a discounted rate when logged in.

Tai Tōrua for primary and intermediate

There are three Tai Tōrua days remaining this term:

• Christchurch: Thursday 15 October
• 
  Auckland North and West: Monday 19 October
• 
  Auckland Central and South: Wednesday 4 November

Primary and intermediate schools have more time to prepare for implementation, and that is an opportunity to engage with the curriculum carefully rather than rushing the process. Tai Tōrua provides space to build understanding, explore quality Physical Education practice and begin thinking about what implementation could look like in your school.

PENZ Conference 2027

Registrations and the call for papers for the 2027 PENZ Conference opened on 1 October.

The conference will be held from 5–7 July 2027 at Wellington College, returning to a venue that last hosted PENZ in 2000. It will also be a significant conference for us as we celebrate 90 years of PENZ.

Importantly, there are lots of way to contribute or present. If you have developed something that is working well for your ākonga, our 20-minute Practice Exchange provides an opportunity to share it with others. It is also a good option for anyone considering presenting for the first time.

Abstracts close on 28 February 2027, with keynote speakers to be announced from November.

PENZ members save $200 on a full conference registration ($750 rather than $950, plus GST). PPTA members may also be eligible for a subject association grant of up to $850, but pre-approval is required before booking.

And yes, the conference dinner is Back to the 90s. You have nine months to sort out the double denim.

Move Think Write

A reminder that Move Think Write, our free toolkit designed to support ākonga with writing in NCEA Physical Education, is available through the PENZ website.

Please use it and share it with your ākonga.

We have also heard the feedback from kaiako that the current web version can be difficult to print and navigate. We are looking at how we can improve this.

Curriculum support: more coming in Term 4

Our focus now is helping kaiako turn the new curriculum into practice.

We already have a range of curriculum support available on the PENZ website, with more being developed throughout Term 4. This will include practical tools and resources to help you unpack the curriculum, review what you already do, and support planning for 2027.

We know kaiako need practical support, not more information to work through. Our aim is to develop resources that make implementation clearer and more manageable.

If you have questions about planning, assessment, programme design or the curriculum itself, please get in touch. We would much rather work through those questions with you now than have you trying to solve them on your own in January.

Ngā mihi nui, 

Heemi