New Zealand Curriculum

The 2007 New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) is a statement of official policy relating to teaching and learning in English-medium New Zealand schools. Its principal function is to set the direction for student learning and provide guidance for schools as they design and review their curriculum.

There is an equivalent official policy statement for Māori medium schools, which can be found on Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (TMOA).

Although they come from different perspectives, both start with visions of young people who will develop the competencies they need for study, work, and lifelong learning and go on to realise their potential. Together, the two documents will help schools give effect to the partnership that is at the core of our nation’s founding document, Te Tiriti o Waitangi | the Treaty of Waitangi.

Schools must choose to develop and implement a curriculum based on either the NZC or TMOA. If a school has a bilingual class or classes where Māori is one of the languages of instruction, it may develop and implement a curriculum based on TMOA for those classes and on the NZC for the rest of the school.

The 2007 New Zealand Curriculum applies to all English-medium state schools (including integrated schools) and to all students in those schools, irrespective of their gender, sexuality, ethnicity, belief, ability or disability, social or cultural background, or geographical location. The term "students" is used throughout in this inclusive sense unless the context clearly relates to a particular group.

The NZC is being refreshed, and TMOA is being redesigned. The mathematics, English, te reo Māori, and pāngarau learning areas in each curriculum will need to be implemented in 2025. The remaining learning areas will need to be implemented in 2027. School boards have new legislative requirements that came into effect on 1 January 2023.

In the Materials that come with this resource section above, you will find The 2007 New Zealand Curriculum, the revised technology learning area, the new Aotearoa New Zealand histories curriculum, and two further resources that will help boards navigate the transitional time between now and when they will be required to fully deliver the newly refreshed curriculum.

The two further resources for boards are replacement pages 43 and 44 of The 2007 New Zealand Curriculum and reflect current legislative requirements.

From the start of Term 1, 2024 school boards must ensure their school's teaching and learning programmes meet requirements for structuring teaching time for reading, writing and maths in Years 0 - 8.  See Gazette Notice 2023-go5904. The Foundation Curriculum Policy Statement and addition to the National Curriculum Statements can be found in the Materials that come with this resource section above. Specialist schools with students in Years 0 - 8 must ensure this from the start of 2025. Kura with a specified kura board must ensure this from Term 3, 2024.

See Materials that come with this resource to download:

• The New Zealand Curriculum (.pdf)
• Technology in the New Zealand Curriculum (.pdf)
• Aotearoa New Zealand's histories in the New Zealand Curriculum (.pdf)
• The Legislative Framework and NZC 2023 - replacement page 43 of the NZC document (.pdf)
• Requirements for Boards (Transitional Statement, in effect until 1 January 2027) - replacement page 44 of the NZC document (.doc)
• National curriculum statements (.doc)
• Foundation curriculum policy statement (.doc)

To order print copies of NZC, visit Down the Back of the Chair (Ministry of Education online catalogue).