Consultation on the updated maths learning area   

 

As a sector we have been talking for a number of years about the need for a clearer, more detailed curriculum to support quality teaching and learning, and reduce teacher and kaiako workload. What you will see in the draft content is a clear teaching sequence, something that has been missing in the current curriculum to date.  

This change means that schools and kura will not have to create teaching sequences themselves freeing up teachers and kaiako to focus on building teaching and learning programmes that bring the content to life. This will help you to engage your leaners and ākonga through structured and sequenced teaching and learning experiences that develop a love of learning and mastery of the knowledge, skills and competencies they need to be successful life-long learners.  

So far, this work has been contributed to by teachers, kaiako, subject-matter experts, school leaders and curriculum design experts. It has been shared with sector representative groups for initial feedback and independently reviewed by the Education Review Office (ERO) who have drawn on their leadership partners from schools and kura around the country as well as international experts.  

Through ongoing professional supports alongside monitoring and continuous improvement, we strive for a system where every student and ākonga has the opportunity to achieve success.

 

What you will recognise in the New Zealand Curriculum, and what is new 

We are pleased to share the draft content for the Years 9-13 maths learning area. Together with Years 0-8 maths content released late last year, this learning area will sit within the NZC framework (Te Mātaiaho). 

This framework will continue to be refined alongside the development of all learning areas.

You will recognise: 

• The Understand Know Do (UKD) model
• Phases of learning
• Progress outcomes 

What you will notice that is new: 

• Increased, evidence-based teaching guidance to show how teachers can incorporate the components of a comprehensive teaching and learning programme at each phase 
• Considerations that support teachers with how to teach specific concepts within the sequences 
• A clear year-by-year progression of content up to Year 13, and teaching approaches that will prepare students to be successful in achieving NCEA qualification and preparation for future learning pathways 
• For Years 11-13, learning areas will also be broken out into subjects to more clearly align with NCEA achievement standards and senior secondary programmes of learning. 

 

Is this the final presentation?

The draft learning area is presented as PDFs for your feedback. It is not yet formatted for online or as the final versions.   

We have worked with focus groups of teachers and principals who have provided advice on how an online format of the national curriculum can be presented in the future. 

Once we have taken in your feedback to help shape the next version of the learning areas, you can expect the next version we release for use from the start of 2026 will bring the content to life in a way that is interactive and easy to navigate. 

This means that for each learning area you will be able to see the presentation of progress outcomes and teaching sequences by years or phases in a clear online format.  

We are also connecting these pages to accompanying resources and supports and will continue to build on this over time, improving the user experience based on your continued feedback.  For examples of what this could look like in the future, you can see these overseas curricula: British Columbia, Australia, Singapore.

For all curriculum content, you will still be able to find PDF versions on Tāhūrangi as an alternative way to download and view information. 

 

The draft curriculum content – Years 9-13 maths learning area 

There are two versions of the mathematics and statistics learning area. This is to ensure you can see the full teaching sequences, which spread across two pages. 

For printing, print the Single Page version, and staple or bulldog clip the left-hand side of the printout. 

For reading online, view the Spreads version. 

• Maths 9-13 – Single Page Version
• Maths 9-13 – Spreads Version

The final full Years 0-13 English, Te Reo Rangatira, maths and Pāngarau curriculum will be gazetted at the end of 2025 for required use in 2026.  

This will incorporate any amendments for Years 0-6 English and Te Reo Rangatira and Years 0-8 maths and Pāngarau in response to feedback we receive from you during 2025. 

The full curriculum will be gazetted in 2026 and required for use from 2027. The Government intends to move into a regular update cycle for the curriculum, as occurs in other jurisdictions, to avoid the need for wholesale reform. 

 

Contact us 

If you have any questions or need guidance, please contact us at [email protected]