[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL] 
Phillip Fry 
[FYI request #34283 email] 
29 April 2026 
Tēnā koe Phillip 
OIA: GEMS – 47473 Primary School Progress Descriptors 
Thank you for your email of 29 March 2026 to the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) 
requesting the following information:  
copies of all briefings, reports, or formal advice provided to the Minister of 
Education or senior Ministry officials since January 2024 regarding the 
development and implementation of the five-point Progress Descriptors for 
primary school reporting. 
Specifically, I am seeking documents describing: 
• the rationale for the move to this specific five-point scale;
• alternative reporting frameworks or "common components" that were
considered but not adopted;
• the reasons for selecting the current descriptors over previous models;
and
• any identified impacts, risks, or benefits for teachers, schools, and
families.
This request is limited to formal documents relied upon for decision-making 
and does not seek informal correspondence or raw draft material. I would 
prefer to receive these documents in a searchable electronic format. 
Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act). 
The Ministry needs to extend the timeframe for responding to your request, pursuant 
to section 15A(1)(b) of the Act, as consultations necessary to make a decision on the 
request are such that a proper response cannot reasonably be made within the 
original time limit. You can now expect to receive a response to your request on or 
before 21 May 2026, which is an extension of 16 working days.
Wellington – National Office, PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140 
Phone: +64 4 463 8000 
education.govt.nz 
[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL] 

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[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL] 
 
You have the right to ask an Ombudsman to review my decision on your request, in 
accordance with section 28 of the Act. You can do this by writing to 
[email address] or to Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, 
Wellington 6143. 
Nāku noa, nā 
 
Tess Firth 
Senior Advisor Ministerial Services 
Te Pou Rangatōpū | Corporate 
education.govt.nz 
 
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OIA: GEMS-47473 
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