Changes to Reporting

As you will be aware there is a new curriculum roll out underway nationwide. The new curriculum brings with it changes to the way we report on progress.

In 2026 English and Mathematics teachers are teaching and assessing according to the new curriculum in Year 9 and 10. All other subjects areas will have a new Year 9-10 curriculum in 2027.

The Ministry of Education (MoE) has released rubrics and progress descriptors for reporting on Year 9-10 English and Mathematics. All other subjects areas will report in this new way in 2027.

Under the new curriculum, Year 9 and 10 are no longer assessed against levels of the curriculum, but phases. Both Year 9 and 10 are being assessed in phase four. To read more about the phases, please click here to visit the relevant MoE information page.

Student progress is now measured against year level progress descriptors:

Emerging
Developing
Consolidating
Proficient
Exceeding

By the END of the year students are expected to be Proficient for their year level. To read more about the progress descriptors, please click here to visit the relevant MoE information page.

Year 9-10 English has been organised into two strands:

Reading - Text Studies
Writing - Language Studies.

To read more about the new English curriculum, please click here to visit the relevant MoE information page.

Year 9-10 Mathematics has been organised into six strands:

Number
Algebra
Measurement
Geometry
Statistics
Probability

To read more about the new Mathematics curriculum, please click here to visit the relevant MoE information page.

At the middle and end of the year, you will see report grades and comments reporting against the new curriculum in Year 9-10 English and Mathematics.

If your child was previously tracking as "above average" or "achieving well" under the old Curriculum Level system, you might feel surprised to see their new report showing them as "Developing" or "Consolidating" at their Year Level.

Please be reassured that your child has not lost knowledge, nor have they fallen behind.

Here are the reasons why the numbers might look different:

The Ministry has changed the measuring tape

Under the old system, curriculum levels were very broad, spanning multiple years. The new system uses strict, year-by-year progress markers. It is a much higher, more specific bar. Being marked as "Developing" simply means they are most likely where they should be during the school year as they work toward mastering that year’s strict criteria.

Filling the "Hidden Gaps"

Because the old system allowed for a lot of flexibility, a student could excel at creative writing but have hidden gaps in their punctuation or formal essay structure. The new curriculum explicitly tests everything. If the report identifies a gap, it will look like a lower mark than usual - but this is actually good news. It highlights the exact concept your child needs to master, which allows for targeted teaching and learning to take place.

It is important to note that under the new system, "Proficient" means a student has fully mastered the rigorous national standard for the END of that year level and is completely ready for the next year's challenges. Reaching "Proficient" is an excellent achievement.

If you would like more information on the reporting requirements, please click here to visit the relevant MoE information page.

Please note that, to supplement these new mid-year and end-year reporting requirements, Rangiora High School will continue to provide automated weekly email updates on each student on each Friday evening.