Including an informed decision in reports to parents and whānau

These four progress descriptors help teachers to clearly communicate to parents and whānau how their child’s progress is tracking against curriculum expectations. Select the one that best describes how the student is progressing for their year level in relation to each strand and overall in relation to the progress outcome for their phase.

Please note the descriptors are in draft and subject to changes. We are keen to hear from you whether these descriptors work for your setting. Please email any feedback to [email protected]. We will be welcoming feedback until 30 June 2025.

Mathematics and statistics Years 0 – 8

When making an informed decision in Mathematics and statistics, teachers need to consider progress and achievement across all six strands. Teachers should make a series of informed decisions for each of the strands that have been covered so far. Teachers should then use these informed decisions to make an overall decision on progress across the learning area. Strands with more content should receive more weighting.

English Years 0 – 6

When making an informed decision for each of the three strands in English, teachers should consider progress for each of the sub-strands and focus areas. Teachers should then draw from these considerations to support them to make an informed decision on progress within each strand.

Assessing progress against the new learning areas

As you start reporting against the new curriculum, we want to acknowledge that schools and kura only have been using the new curricula from the start of 2025, which includes new teaching and assessment methods and content. As a result, you could see a change in your student’s progress or achievement compared to previous years.

From 1 January 2025, all schools are expected to report on student progress and achievement for the new English Years 0-6 and Mathematics & Statistics Years 0-8 learning areas. Reporting should describe the key learning students have engaged with for English and Mathematics & Statistics by year level.

English and Mathematics & Statistics progress through 5 phases of learning – Years 0-3, 4-6, 7/8, 9/10, 11-13. Phases 3 to 5 (Years 7-13) are currently in development for English and phases 4 to 5 (Years 9-13) are currently in development for Mathematics & Statistics. These later phases are planned to become required from the start of 2026.

Each phase has a year-by-year teaching sequence. These sequences support teachers to know what to teach and when to teach it. They also support teachers with how to teach it.

The sequences have been organised to support students to revisit ideas, knowledge, and practices in ways that deepen their learning and enable them to use it at the next phase.

Teachers actively assess progress in relation to these year-by-year teaching sequences.

At the end of every phase there is a progress outcome – statements that describe what students should sufficiently understand, know, and be able to do to progress to the next phase successfully.

As teachers are monitoring progress and achievement in relation to the year-by-year teaching sequences, they also monitor how students are progressing towards the learning described in the progress outcome at the end of each phase as this indicates readiness for future learning.

As teachers monitor student progress, they should use the teaching sequence and Progress Outcome questions from the refreshed NZC to consider how to adapt their practices to meet students' learning needs (which includes questions such as ‘Are there gaps in learning that are going to restrict students' ability to make progress in the next phase of their learning?’).

Teachers are responsible for making informed decisions about student progress and achievement. Therefore, it is essential that teachers have confidence in the evidence used to support their decisions.

Statement for Schools

The Ministry has developed a statement that schools may choose to use when reporting to parents, highlighting that the transition between old and new curriculum may impact on reported student achievement.

See Materials that come with this resource to download the:

May 2025 Statement from the Ministry of Education to Support Schools with Reporting to Parents (.pdf).

Using information from standardised assessment tools

Standardised tools (such as the phonics check, e-asTTle and PATs) should be used alongside other assessment approaches, practices and pedagogies. For example, pre-, during and post- assessment (diagnostic, formative and summative), activities provided by your structured literacy or maths resources provider.

The use Istandardised tools helps to direct teachers to determine each student’s next steps, identifying areas of student strengths and areas of improvement that may otherwise go unnoticed. These are important for identifying students who may need extra help.

The use of specific tools is not required in 2025, but schools are encouraged to use the phonics check and undertake twice-yearly checks of each year 3-8 student’s progress and achievement in reading, writing, and maths using standardised assessment tools (such as e-asTTle and PATs).'m 

Mapping e-asTTle results to the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum during 2025

For kura and schools using e-asTTle, the content and scoring within the tool and the reports generated by the tool, will not change.

Interim supports, for use in 2025, to help kaiako and teachers to use the results from e-asTTle to make informed decisions about progress and achievement in relation to the refreshed learning areas and wāhanga ako can be found here.

This resource contains a series of mapping tables, or ‘look–up tables’, that can be used by schools to understand how their students are progressing and achieving in relation to the learning areas of the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum (NZC):

• English (Years 0-6)
• Mathematics and statistics (Years 0-8).

The tables show alignment across the existing e-asTTle sub-levels and scale scores, and the refreshed phases and year-level expectations of the New Zealand Curriculum (2024).

Teachers and kaiako should use these tables to inform assessment, instructional decisions, and reporting. These tables serve as an interim measure, assisting teachers to transition smoothly to the updated curriculum while a new curriculum-aligned assessment and aromatawai tool is being developed.

PATs and reporting

Progressive Achievement Tests (PATs) are one of the options available to schools as they are encouraged to assess twice yearly in reading, writing and maths for years 3-8.

NZCER is currently developing PAT reporting that will align scale scores on the Maths and Reading to curriculum expectations – but this remains a work in progress as the curriculum is finalised. When this new reporting is completed, it will be possible to draw a direct link between a scale score on a PAT and how this relates to curriculum expectations.

In the meantime, teachers are encouraged to become familiar with the new phase outcome statements and consider how these align with test content. For any queries about PATs, please contact [email protected].

In reports to parents, teachers should draw from good quality assessment information to determine how each student is progressing with their learning. In writing the reports teachers should focus on describing the learning a student has mastered and what the next steps should be.

For the new Mathematics & Statistics Years 0 – 8 and English Years 0 – 6 learning areas, this is based on the year-by-year sequence statements that students have been taught over the reporting period, as they work towards the progress outcome for their phase.

This information supports teachers to make informed decisions (discussed further below) about how the student’s learning is tracking against year and phase level expectations, and the next steps for teaching and learning, including how parents and whānau can support at home.

Ideas that you can point parents and whānau to will become available here: Parents and caregivers - Schools (Year 0–13) - Ministry of Education.

For the rest of the curriculum (including English in Years 7 and above and Mathematics & Statistics in Years 10 and above) teachers should continue to use their existing approaches to communicate to parents and whānau how their child is progressing and achieving.

In Years 9 and above, reports should also make clear whether their child is on-track to successfully attain the NCEA co-requisites. Once students have started NCEA, reports should make clear whether they are on-track to achieve qualification requirements.

Some suggested topics to ask about 

1. Reporting practices 

Ask people for their views about the school’s reporting timeline and practices and make changes as appropriate.  

2. Plain language reporting  

Find out what ‘plain language’ means to your community. You could do this in the following ways: 

• Identify the aspects of reporting parents and whānau frequently ask questions about. This indicates the need for a clearer explanation or for this aspect to be refined or replaced. 
• Find out what means of written reporting works best. Does reporting need to be visual, as well as written (for example, samples of students’ work, graphs, or images)? 
• Include a glossary or an explanation sheet. It’s a good idea to have any explanatory sheets checked by parents and whānau to ensure they are clear and easy to understand. 

3. Means of communication  

Ask about the different ways parents and whānau would like to communicate about their children’s learning. Do they find reporting most clear and easy to understand when it is: 

• digital, in an online platform (such as Seesaw, HERO, Spotlight, or Learning Talk) 
• face-to-face, so that any queries can be answered straight away 
• written or spoken in languages other than English 
• read aloud by the teacher or student (addressing their language and literacy needs) 
• part of regular informal catchups 
• supported by regular (for example, monthly or fortnightly) emails, phone calls, or texts? 

4. Parent–teacher–student meetings

Find out from parents and whānau what works best for meetings, including: 

• how often 
• best times of day 
• length of meetings 
• whether childcare would be useful. 

How parents and whānau can help at home  

These are some of the examples of advice that could go on written reports to help parents and whānau support their children’s learning in reading, writing, mathematics, and key competencies. Some examples stand alone, while others could be supported by workshops, modelling, or conversations between parents, teachers, and ākonga. 

Information-sharing that informs learning 

The table below summarises the key features of reciprocal information-sharing that informs shared decisions about learning. 

Principles of effective reporting and information sharing 

Effective reporting practices are tailored to the specific needs, interests, and circumstances of your school and its community. The table below details the principles that guide effective reporting and information sharing and the outcomes that derive from them. The principles are drawn from research evidence and aligned with current educational policies and regulations.   

Student self-assessment and reflection in reporting 

Effective reporting involves each ākonga taking increasing responsibility for their learning.  

Ākonga reflection in written reports 

Ākonga can reflect on their learning as part of the school’s written reporting process. Ākonga could write a letter to their parents or complete a template to insert into the report. The letter or template could include some suggested reflection stems, such as: 

• I feel good about …   
• I liked learning about ... because ... 
• I used to … but now I … 
• My whānau helped me in my learning when ... 
• Two things I will remember about what I have learnt over the last six months are … 
• A strategy that helped me learn better is … 
• If I could do something again differently, I would … 
• One thing I will remember to do in the future is … 
• One thing I want to learn is ... 

When and how ākonga complete self-assessment 

Your students could work with you to develop criteria related to their learning goals and then assess themselves at agreed times. Share these assessments with parents and whānau during student-led conferences, through portfolios or personalised learning maps, on online platforms, or in written reports. 

Preparing to run a student-led or three-way conference 

Student-led and three-way conferences provide a context for a conversation between a student and their parents, whānau, and teacher. Students share their learning progress and achievement, often using selected pieces of work in a digital or paper-based learning portfolio or learning journal. Most schools using these approaches report a significant rise in both parent satisfaction and attendance at conference times.

The purpose of conferencing 

Student-led and three-way conferences are designed to: 

• help students demonstrate evidence of learning 
• teach students the process of reflection and self-evaluation 
• develop students’ skills, such as organisation and oral communication 
• foster student ownership of the learning process and encourage them to accept personal responsibility for their learning 
• encourage students, parents, whānau, and teachers to engage in open and honest dialogue 
• Improve attendance and satisfaction with reporting so parents better understand their child's learning. 

Student-led conferences 

The teacher is involved but does not necessarily sit with the student and parents all the time. You might set up your classroom or conference space so that four or five groups of parents and students can sit together to discuss student learning. Some schools set up stations, often for the younger students, where students and their parents move around looking at different aspects of learning. 

Key features of student-led conferences are that: 

• the student takes the central role during discussions 
• the teacher acts as the facilitator and prompter, where necessary. 

Three-way conferencing  

Student, parents, whānau, and the teacher discusses the student’s learning, with the student taking an equal role. This is a conversation about what the student is learning, not what they are doing at school. 

Key features of three-way conferences: 

• Parents and whānau listen to their child, ask questions, and encourage their child to explain further.
• The teacher facilitates the conversation about the student’s learning and prompts the student when needed. 
• The student shares their learning and reflects on the progress they have made this year. 

School leaders can maximise the benefits of conferencing 

Provide training for teachers and students about how to run a conference.  

Use feedback from parents, whānau, students, and teachers to adjust and improve your school’s curriculum plan, assessment, and reporting processes. Integrate this feedback loop into your planning to create a dynamic system (one that is flexible and responsive).  

Reporting in plain language 

When you report on the progress and achievement of ākonga, use plain language so that everyone understands what is being discussed.

Whether written or spoken, plain language reporting has the following characteristics:

• it is concise
• it clearly outlines a student’s progress and achievement
• it uses language that parents, whānau, and ākonga can easily understand  
• it is free of complex and unnecessary educational jargon

Using plain language does not mean that you cannot use the language of education. Be deliberate and make conscious decisions about the terms that are important for everybody to know. Plan how these terms will be socialised across your school community to develop assessment literacy.  

Why report in plain language? 

If ākonga can understand their reports, then their parents and whānau will, too. Then ākonga can talk about how they are doing and what help they need at home.  

When you use plain-language reporting, parents, and whānau feel more: 

• informed about their children’s education 
• confident in communicating with the school 
• able to play a proactive (thinking ahead and positive) role in their children’s learning. 

Using plain language supports the construction of reciprocal learning partnerships by: 

• reducing the time spent explaining unfamiliar terms and intended meanings so that discussions can focus on working together to reach learning goals 
• helping ākonga understand where they are, and where they need to be 
• providing opportunities for ākonga, parents, and whānau to talk confidently about students’ progress and achievement, as active participants in the assessment and reporting process. 

Tips for writing in plain language 

• Keep words, sentences, and paragraphs short and simple.  
• Use a summary sentence to get to the point first, then explain in more detail.  
• Use bullet points to create brief lists of related points.  
• Check that the content is grouped and ordered in a logical way.  
• Encourage student comments in reports. 
• Leave out anything not relevant to the student or their parents and whānau. 
• Use language that is familiar and easy for all to understand. 
• When explaining a learning process, use actual examples where practical. 
• Avoid jargon. If you feel there are terms that parents and whānau need to know, then explain what they mean. 
• Use personal pronouns - with students’ permission, use their preferred pronouns (for example, he, she, they).
• Be clear about the final results of assessment and ensure parents and whānau understand what these means in terms of their child’s learning. 
• Make explicit connections to the relevant learning progressions, learning areas, key competencies, or school values. 
• Amplify connections and explanation through the use of images and examples (for example, learning stories, narrative assessments, photographs, or video links). 

Names, pronouns, and gender markers 

Be sensitive about your use of students’ preferred names, pronouns, and gender markers, and respectful of student privacy. Some students may not use these with their parents and whānau, and it may not be safe for them to do so. You can find information and advice on how to address these issues in Creating Rainbow-inclusive School Policies and Procedures (InsideOUT Kōaro, 2021). 

How school leaders can support teachers to report in plain language 

• Develop a shared understanding of plain language reporting and expectations for its use. 
• Share examples of plain language written reports and provide opportunities for collegial discussion. 
• Observe teachers when they report to whānau and parents. Give guidance in areas where they are less confident. 
• Talk with parents and whānau about what is easy and hard to understand. 
• Encourage student participation in the reporting process (for example, through student-led conferences), as this helps keep the language simple and easy to understand. 
• Provide reporting templates, professional learning on reporting practice, and training in the use of online platforms. 

Report time! 

Sharing progress regularly is vital for each child’s ongoing learning and success. Sharing quality learning information between learners, parents, whānau, schools, and kura helps everyone to understand and support the learner.  

Are you doing too much? 

Simply put, Regulation 21 of the 2020 School Boards Regulation (which maintains the intention of NAG2c) is to ensure that good quality assessment or aromatawai information is used to report to parents. The reports must: 

• be written in plain language (this can be digital) 
• be provided at least twice a year 
• include the student's progress and achievement:
  • across the New Zealand Curriculum or Te Marautanga o Aotearoa
  • in mathematics and literacy, and/or te reo matatini and pāngarau. 

There are different ways of meeting the intention of Regulation 21. However, a lack of clarity about expectations means that some kura and schools are reporting more than they need to for effective partnerships. Check these scenarios against your kura or school’s reporting policy to make sure you aren’t creating unnecessary work for little benefit. 

Meeting the intention of Regulation 21 may be easier than you think. 

These interactive resources show how Regulation 21 can be met in different ways by sharing how some schools and kura are reporting to students and their whānau, what this looks like, and whether these ways of reporting meet the intention of Regulation 21.  

These interactive resources are currently being updated and will be made available on Tāhūrangi again shortly.

How can this resource be used? 

The resource is deliberately designed as a fun conversation starter, to guide conversations with you and your staff as you develop or review your reporting practices with the needs of your students and their whānau in mind. This resource can be used to help you consider: 

• Are you doing too much? 
• Are you doing enough? 
• Is your reporting policy intended to improve learners’ ongoing progress by sharing information? 
• Are you improving the ongoing learning and success of learners through your reporting to parents and whānau? 
• How do you balance effective reporting that benefits learners and whānau, with teacher workload? 
• Does your reporting policy reflect the needs of your community?