The National Standards signpost the knowledge and skills students need to fully engage with the curriculum at an appropriate level.
Teachers are supported with resources to help exemplify learning and monitor student achievement across a range of curriculum contexts.
Literacy, numeracy, and key competencies
Competency in literacy and numeracy in both English-medium and Māori-medium classrooms is critical to engage with increasingly complex texts and tasks.
Through being literate and numerate citizens, students are able to manage and influence the social, emotional, physical, and economic contexts that shape their lives, and the lives of others.
The New Zealand Curriculum key competencies are about developing the dispositions and sense of agency that not only empower the individual but help them better understand and negotiate the perspectives and values of others, contributing towards more productive and inclusive workplaces and societies.
"I like the way the NZC and the National Standards frame the key competencies. I think that placing the child as central to the concept is a critical position to take."
In literacy and numeracy contexts, the key competencies provide a framework for exploring and developing knowledge, skills and attitudes. As well as 'using language, symbols and texts', these include aspects of critical literacy, mathematical thinking, perseverance in problem-solving, resilience in adversity, and collaborating with others to achieve common goals.
In most contexts the key competencies will be at play. A teacher may focus on developing one or more aspects of a key competency in a teaching and learning situation that provides ideal learning opportunities.
Emergent and developing understandings – concept diagrams
The diagrams place the eight learning areas first. This is to reinforce that there are rich opportunities for developing literacy and numeracy skills and understandings across the curriculum.
The key competencies are placed in the centre of the diagram. They are overlapping to reinforce that they should not be seen as a discrete list and are necessarily interrelated.
Under each competency there are important literacy and numeracy concepts that need to be developed. The language used describes learner capabilities that could apply to adults as well as children. Teachers may wish to rephrase them slightly to be accessible to the diverse students they work with.
"I think these key competency diagrams are really helpful for teachers. The concept diagrams support teachers to use the key competencies in their planning, teaching, learning, and reflecting processes. They are clear and user friendly to help teachers gain confidence and scaffold the integration of key competencies into our literacy and numeracy programmes."
Teacher, Year 5/6
Diagram 1: Emergent understandings
This diagram relates to the early school years and aligns with National Standards for year 1 (end of) to year 3.
Diagram 1 Emergent understandings (PDF, 426 KB)
Diagram 2: Developing understandings
This diagram builds on many of these concepts and aligns with the year 4–8 National Standards.
It is important to recognise that students will be developing knowledge, skills, and attitudes at different times, and have different strengths and needs. Therefore, both diagrams may be useful for any one student group.
Diagram 2 Developing understandings (PDF, 1 MB)
"What a great base for teachers to use in making the key competencies explicit to students. The difference in wording between the junior and senior version allows teachers to see how the key competencies are exemplified in increasingly complex ways but are accessible regardless of the year level."
Unit planning using the concepts
Download possible approaches to unit planning using the concepts.
Unit planning table 1: Science and the key competencies (PDF, 73 KB)
Unit planning table 2: Social studies/Arts and the key competencies (PDF, 72 KB)
NZC - National Standards
Resources to support schools as they begin using the National Standards.
Educational Leaders – National Standards: leadership links
Links to information and tools that support school leaders to lead the implementation of the National Standards.