Improving outcomes in reading, writing, and maths (or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau) is a priority for the Government. The Government will ask schools with students Years 0 to 8 to spend an average of an hour a day teaching reading, writing, and maths (or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau).

We know many of you are already doing this teaching, so there may not be a big change for you. 

This policy will safeguard explicit teaching time for reading, writing and maths (or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau). The expectation is that, on average, schools will be doing five hours a week of maths (pāngarau) and 10 hours a week of reading and writing (pānui and tuhituhi). 

No, it does not. Teaching can take place in smaller chunks that equal an hour a day. This policy will be practical, allowing teachers to continue planning suitable blocks of time that are appropriate for young children, so you can keep learning engaging and focused on student needs.

Yes, as long as that learning is intentional and connected to the New Zealand Curriculum or Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. Cross-curricular learning opportunities will remain important.

Watch the Minister outline her intentions here: 

Minister Stanford Introduction – Vimeo

Details of this policy will be published on our website during the week of 18 December, along with practical guidance and supports which will be available on our online curriculum hub Tāhūrangi.

Home – Tāhūrangi 

The 100-day plan also includes a commitment to appoint an expert group to review the English and maths curricula for primary school students. The intention is not to start again, but to build on the good work that has already been done and look for opportunities to strengthen this further. We will provide further information on this as soon as possible.

If you have any questions, email poutahu.engagement@education.govt.nz.

Both international and local evidence shows that cellphones can be a distraction from learning during class time, as well as reducing important face to face interaction during school breaks. A UNESCO report published in July describes the move towards cellphones being away for the school day as supporting addressing issues of classroom disruption, improving learning and helping protect children from cyberbullying. 

Smartphones in school? Only when they clearly support learning – UNESCO 26 July 2023

The expectation of our new coalition Government is that you are ready to implement a cellphone policy that has cellphones ‘away for the day’ as soon as possible in Term 1 2024.

You can find examples of how some schools have managed implementing this policy here: 

Phones away for the day – Ministry of Education 

From now until the beginning of Term 1 2024, we will be providing examples of policy practice that you may choose to consult on and adapt for your community. These will be added to the web page.

The Government’s intention is to have the regulations for this policy in place before Christmas. For those schools that have an existing cellphone policy in place there may be very little to do. Others will need to begin the process of implementing a new cellphone policy in their school community. We will provide a small number of implementation examples to support the process of policy design and implementation. 

Subject to the regulations being in place, there will be some flexibility in how you implement the policy based on your circumstances and the needs of learners and their families. For example, an exemption could be agreed where a student requires a phone to support their health or learning needs.  

Throughout October, several new resources from the Ready to Read Phonics Plus series were sent directly to primary schools. If you haven’t received these resources, or need extra copies, order direct from Down the Back of the Chair:

Login – Down the Back of the Chair

Resources and videos can also be downloaded from Tāhūrangi, our new online home for curriculum content, teaching materials and news:

Literacy learning content and resources – Tāhūrangi New Zealand Curriculum

You can find these dates at:

Resourcing: Operational funding and staffing entitlements – Ministry of Education

The closing date for UA referrals for the 2023 school year was 8 December. 

Attendance Service Providers (ASA) have been advised to close all active UA referrals by 15 December. 

Schools | kura may wish to re-refer previous UA cases in the new year should students continue to remain unjustifiably absent.

 

A reminder that First Year Beginning Teacher Time Allowance applications for year 2024 won’t be processed until the beginning of next year. To process a First Year Beginning Teacher Time Allowance, the teacher’s relevant pay history needs to show on payroll (commencing 7 February). For an application to be processed, beginning teachers must be qualified, have a current provisional registration from the Teaching Council, and be coded to the Teacher’s Salaries funding code. Details can be found on our website:

Teacher specific staffing allowances – Ministry of Education 

Due to the large volume of applications received for the new school year, allow some time for processing. You will receive a notification from the Pourato system once your application is processed.

Any teacher registration enquiries, email enquiries@teachingcouncil.nz and for payroll enquiries, email support@novopay.govt.nz.

A reminder that temporary wellbeing services supporting the education sector through the COVID-19 pandemic are changing. The centrally funded EAP counselling support operating since 2020 will close to new clients from 29 December. Anyone registered on or before 29 December will be seen.

The online interactive wellbeing tool (Gold Star) can still be accessed until 30 June 2024. Please ensure your staff are aware of the EAP counselling support changes. Details about the centrally funded COVID-19 support and the Government’s COVID-19 are available on Te Mahau:

Workforce wellbeing package – Te Mahau

Given the upcoming closure of the centrally funded EAP counselling, we want to take this opportunity to share NZSTA’s extensive information and resources covering health, safety and wellbeing, should schools and kura want to review their employee health and wellbeing policy and settings:

An introduction to health, safety and wellbeing – NZSTA

While centrally funded wellbeing services provided additional support for education staff during COVID-19, Boards of Trustees, as the employer, continue to be primarily responsible for the wellbeing of their staff. 

You can submit proposals from now until 23 February 2024. We have also confirmed a Term 2 round for 2024, with applications closing 17 May.

All approved applications will be set to a duration of four terms/12 months. This will allow us to be more responsive to the evolving direction of the curriculum, aromatawai and assessment system changes and the needs of kaiako and leaders.

We will continue to keep you informed as more information becomes available.

Video and written guides:

Help and guides – Professional Learning & Development

If you need help with your education sector login (ESL) visit:

Education sector logon – Professional Learning & Development

As the end of Term approaches, make sure you cover areas that involve emergency response, health and safety management plans and property maintenance during the holidays. For more information, visit:

Emergency response coordinator contacts – Ministry of Education

Protecting your school and assets – Fire Emergency New Zealand

Swimming pools at schools – Ministry of Education

Insurance – Ministry of Education

If you don’t have any current or planned infrastructure projects over the holidays, gaining access to our new online management system can wait until time allows. If you do have an infrastructure project in progress (or planned for summer), guidance for the system can be found at:

School-led project forms – Ministry of Education

Any queries, email PPMProject.Mailbox@education.govt.nz or contact your Te Mahau property mailbox. 

Schools | kura considering recruiting teachers | kaiako from overseas are advised to register as early as possible for employer accreditation and job checks under the Accredited Employer Work Visa scheme because processing can take longer during peak periods. 

If you make a job offer to an overseas teacher and need your application as an accredited employer processed to meet timelines, call the Immigration New Zealand contact centre. 

If you need an overseas teacher’s visa application considered with urgency, there is an escalation process via INZ’s website:

Make your escalation request – Immigration New Zealand

For more information:

• Reducing barriers for overseas teachers – Bulletin 17 October
• Immigration New Zealand to register as an accredited employer: 

Home – Immigration New Zealand

• INZ contact centre: 0508 558 855 (free from NZ landlines), 09 914 4100 (Auckland) or 049109915 (Wellington) 
• Navigator service – contact 0800 165 225 or email teacher.supply@education.govt.nz 
• TeachNZ for more on the overseas finders fees and overseas relocation grants 

Home – TeachNZ

From 1 February, Google, Yahoo and Xtra email services will require bulk email senders to have additional email security protocols in place. These protocols authenticate the sender and help cut down on phishing and spam. 

This is so emails – such as your school newsletter – don’t end up as spam and continue to reach parents, caregivers and whānau. Schools | kura will need to put in place some or all of the following email security protocols:  

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework) 
• DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance) 
• DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail). 

Further information and guidance on securing your email domain is outlined on our website:

Protecting your email domain from spoofing – Ministry of Education