15 May 2026

There is a lot happening up here. Teachers have been putting a good deal of thought into this next reporting round. It's the first time they will be asked to provide judgements against the new curriculum indicators which are cohort based. It is likely that a Year 5, for example, has been taught less than half the Year 5 Curriculum by the month of May of a particular year so most children would likely be 'developing' as they haven't come across the content yet.

These new national expectations are different from the past. Teachers will be able to explain this further when you meet with them at the reporting. There is a lot of water to go under the bridge first. Learning for us all! Believe me!

Once judgements are made in reading, writing and maths then these are moderated across teams and wider if needing even deeper scrutiny. Reports are then drafted, edited and finally published.

So on one hand their heads have been down deep into indicators and associated assessments. On the other hand they are keeping our curriculum alive across every learning area, trying to keep things relevant and minds curious (their own too).

Last week we had whānau day. These are beautiful opportunities for children to mix across the school, work with siblings and other family members if they are here too, and generally work in a way that allows different strengths to shine.

The staffroom was full of positive chatter about who teachers witnessed do what, stand out, take teamwork to the next level, get really involved in the learning and the like. It really is a fantastic feature of our school.

Sustainability, Positive Education and The Arts are key aspects of our local curriculum. We find that whānau days (well morning!) are another way to pick up these pillars of the school and build learning opportunities that cater for children from 5-11 years old in a way that hits the right notes.

On we go...

Ngā mihi nui