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CMC
[FYI request #34892 email]
19 June 2026
Tēnā koe CMC
OIA: [GEMS48419/48447/48526 and 48574] – Curriculum Capability Framework
and Titles at Phase 5 of the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh
Thank you for your emails of 27 May, 1, 6 and 10 June 2026 to the Ministry of
Education (the Ministry) requesting various information regarding the Curriculum
Capability Framework and Titles at Phase 5 of the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh.
Your full requests are Appended as
Appendix A for ease of reference.
Your requests have been considered under the Official Information Act 1982 (the
Act).
The Ministry is combining your requests into a single request, GEMS-48574, as
allowable under section 18A of the Act, as these requests are about similar subject
matters and were received in short succession.
We have carefully considered your requests. As currently framed, they are very
broad in nature and scope and seek a wide range of material, including advice,
research, consultation records, and correspondence across multiple aspects of the
Phase 5 curriculum development process. Identifying, collating, and reviewing this
material would require substantial collation and research and would have a
significant impact on the ability of the teams involved to carry out their core functions.
Accordingly, your request, as it currently stands, is likely to be refused under section
18(f) of the Act, as the information requested cannot be made available without
substantial collation or research. However, we are keen to work with you to refine
your request in the hope that we may be able to avoid a full refusal of your request.
To assist with this, we have worked with the relevant business unit who have
provided the below summary of the status of this work, and links to publicly available
information, which may assist you to refine the scope of your request.
Capabilities and Frameworks at Phase 5
The work on capabilities at Phase 5 has been done iteratively through the design
process of Phase 5. The theory of more specialized capabilities for subjects at Phase
Wellington – National Office, PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140
Phone: +64 4 463 8000
education.govt.nz
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5 is predicated on Marzano, Willingham, Lambert, Naussbaum and Bloom
(references attached as
Appendix B). As we develop Phase 5 subjects’ knowledge
and practices, there is a need to underpin and connect these with subject specific
capabilities that specify the skills and critical cognitive thinking developed in students
and that inform potential assessment criteria.
The capabilities at Phase 5 are specific to subjects and differ from Phases 1-4 in that
way. In Phases 1-4 capabilities are more general skills and competencies students
need to develop across subjects. That being said, there are capabilities referenced in
the purpose statements of each learning area/wahanga ako and there is still work
being done on whether more specific capabilities will be developed at Phase 4.
The connection between knowledge, practices and capabilities is about the
development of cognitive reasoning and critical and creative thinking – connecting
the knowledge with skills and meaning. These capabilities will develop towards a
criteria-based subject assessment.
In light of this, we have specialists working across the Ministry and the New Zealand
Qualifications Authority (NZQA) on this work to ensure that curriculum drives
summative assessment modes and methods. This work is also inclusive of the
Curriculum Subject Advisors. This work is ongoing and in its very early stages.
All the Phase 5 work is iterative. The Advisors spent time working on the capabilities
and the four categories named are working titles currently. They were summarized
from the overview design work done by Advisors on all subjects and then looked at
through theory. Once we have done more work with Advisors, we will prepare advice
for both agencies and the Minister of Education, as per our usual process. Further
information around this work will be made publicly available at the appropriate
juncture.
Publicly available information
Some information relevant to your request is already publicly available on the
Ministry of Education’s websites. We encourage you to review the following
resources:
• The Phase 5 (Years 11–13) curriculum pages on Tāhūrangi, which provide
access to draft curriculum materials and learning area content:
https://newzealandcurriculum.tahurangi.education.govt.nz/new-zealand-
curriculum-online/new-zealand-curriculum/phases-years/phase-5-years-
11-13/5637165581.c
• Information releases relating to the development of Phase 5 curriculum
subjects, including advice and reports:
https://www.education.govt.nz/our-work/information-releases/issue-
specific-information-releases/phase-tuarere-5-curriculum-subjects
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• The draft refreshed New Zealand Curriculum (Te Mātaiaho), which provides
broader context on the curriculum refresh programme:
https://newzealandcurriculum.tahurangi.education.govt.nz/the-new-
zealand-curriculum-te-m-taiaho/5637303584.p
• The Phase 5 consultation hub, which outlines the consultation process and
includes consultation webinars, along with a transcript. The webinars are
located approximately 3/4 of the way down the page. There is one focussed at
school leaders (Tumuaki, Principals, and Deputy Principals) and one focussed
at Heads of Department and Curriculum Leads. The page also includes links
to the upcoming webinars for group 2:
https://newzealandcurriculum.tahurangi.education.govt.nz/phase-5-
consultation
If, having considered the above material, you still have outstanding queries you may
wish to consider refining/narrowing these in the following ways:
•
Timeframe: limit your request to information generated within a discrete and
defined time period
•
Document type: focus your request on formal documents such as briefings,
aide-mémoires, or decision papers, rather than any records, documents or
correspondence
•
Decision focus: limit the request to information that directly informed a
particular decision, rather than all material generated during or considered
during development
•
Evidence base: specify whether you are seeking only the titles of research or
frameworks that were explicitly cited in formal advice rather than the research
or frameworks themselves
•
Consultation material: narrow this to summaries of consultation processes or
key advisory inputs as captured in formal advice, rather than all records and
correspondence
It is important to note that, given the early stages of this work, the information
available to be released to you may be limited, still under active development, or not
yet consolidated into formal advice. In addition, some information, particularly relating
to external parties’ involved in this work, may be subject to privacy and confidentiality
obligations, which may affect what can be released.
Finally, we note that the Ministry continues to receive a large number of requests of a
similar breadth and complexity from you. While we are committed to meeting our
obligations under the Act, we may need to consider charging for, or potentially
refusing under section 18(h) of the Act, future requests should they follow a similar
pattern. With finite resources to respond to requests for official information, and when
one person is making multiple large requests, our ability to respond to other
members of the public is unfairly impacted. Our preference, however, is to continue
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working constructively with you to ensure your requests are targeted and
manageable.
Please note, any clarification or amendment of a request is considered a new request
for the purpose of calculating the maximum statutory timeframe for response.
More information about making Official Information Act requests can be found
here:
Making official information requests: A guide for requesters |
Ombudsman New Zealand
Please let us know if you require any further help refining your request by email
to
[Ministry of Education request email] and quoting the reference number
GEMS-48526.
Nāku noa, nā
Lorraine Monahan
Manger, Ministerial Services
Te Pou Rangatōpū | Corporate
education.govt.nz
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APPENDIX A
27 May:
The refreshed New Zealand Curriculum uses four capability titles consistently across all
learning areas at Phase 5:
- Knowing and understanding
- Analysing and applying
- Evaluating and synthesising
- Representing and communicating
I request the following information relating specifically to the origin and evidence base for
these four titles as a cross-curriculum design decision:
1. Any advice, briefings, or reports that informed the decision to adopt these four titles as a
consistent cross-curriculum framework across all learning areas.
2. Any research literature, cognitive frameworks, or curriculum theory cited or used to
support the selection and naming of these four titles.
3. Any international curriculum frameworks or syllabuses reviewed or used as reference
points when developing these titles.
1 June:
The refreshed New Zealand Curriculum uses four capability titles consistently across all
learning areas at Phase 5. However, the capability framework at Phase 5 is structured
differently from the capability frameworks used at Phases 1–4.
I request the following information relating specifically to the design rationale for this
structural difference:
1. Any advice, briefings, or reports that explain why the capability framework at Phase 5 was
designed differently from the frameworks used at Phases 1–4.
2. Any documents that record the curriculum design decisions behind this structural
difference, including whether the Phase 5 framework and the Phases 1–4 frameworks were
developed separately, by different teams, or at different points in time.
3. Any advice or documentation that explains whether the four Phase 5 capability titles were
always intended as a consistent cross-curriculum framework from the outset of the
curriculum refresh, or whether this consistency emerged during the development process.
6 June:
The refreshed New Zealand Curriculum uses four capability titles consistently across all
learning areas at Phase 5:
- Knowing and understanding
- Analysing and applying
- Evaluating and synthesising
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- Representing and communicating
I request the following information relating specifically to the consultation process and
external expertise involved in developing these four capability titles as a cross-curriculum
framework:
1. The roles or positions (but not necessarily personal contact details) of any external
advisors, academics, or curriculum experts consulted in the development of this cross-
curriculum capability framework.
2. Any records of consultation processes, workshops, or advisory group meetings where the
design of these capability titles was discussed or decided.
3. Any correspondence with external parties, including academics, other curriculum
authorities, or international experts, relating to the development or review of these capability
titles.
10 June:
The refreshed New Zealand Curriculum uses four capability titles consistently across all
learning areas at Phase 5. However, the capability framework at Phase 5 is structured
differently from the capability frameworks used at Phases 1–4.
I request the following information relating specifically to the design rationale for this
structural difference:
1. Any advice, briefings, or reports that explain why the capability framework at Phase 5 was
designed differently from the frameworks used at Phases 1–4.
2. Any documents that record the curriculum design decisions behind this structural
difference, including whether the Phase 5 framework and the Phases 1–4 frameworks were
developed separately, by different teams, or at different points in time.
3. Any advice or documentation that explains whether the four Phase 5 capability titles were
always intended as a consistent cross-curriculum framework from the outset of the
curriculum refresh, or whether this consistency emerged during the development process.
education.govt.nz
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APPENDIX B
References:
Lambert, D
. Achieving Human Potential Through Geography Education: A
Capabilities Approach to Curriculum Making in Schools
Nussbaum,
M. 20HHRJ21-Nussbaum.pdf
Marzano, R. J., & Kendall, J. S. (2007). The new taxonomy of educational objectives
(2nd ed.). Corwin Pre
ss. http://ifeet.org/files/The-New-taxonomy-of-Educational-
Objectives.pdf 3
Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (Eds.). (2001). A taxonomy for learning,
teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives.
New York, NY: Longman. Retrieved from Quincy College:
https://www.quincycollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/Anderson-and-
Krathwohl_Revised-Blooms-Taxonomy.pdf 4
Castro, P., & Gómez, P. (2021). Taxonomy of key terms for mathematics education.
International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science, and Technology, 9(4),
585–61
3. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1319820.pdf 5
Biggs, J. B., & Collis, K. F. (1982). Evaluating the quality of learning: The SOLO
taxonomy. Academic Press. Retrieved from Internet Archive:
https://www.giftedreach.org.nz/archives/the_solo_taxonomy.pdf 6
Marzano, R. J., & Kendall, J. S. (2007). The new taxonomy of educational objectives
(2nd ed.). Corwin Pre
ss. http://ifeet.org/files/The-New-taxonomy-of-Educational-
Objectives.pdf 7
Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (Eds.). (2001). A taxonomy for learning,
teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives.
New York, NY: Longman. Retrieved from Quincy College:
https://www.quincycollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/Anderson-and-
Krathwohl_Revised-Blooms-Taxonomy.pdf 8
Levels; Webb, Norman L. and others. “Web Alignment Tool” 24 July 2005. Wisconsin
Center of Educational Research. University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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