This page provides the Years 0-10 part of the Mathematics and Statistics learning area of the New Zealand Curriculum, the official document that sets the direction for teaching, learning, and assessment in all English medium state and state-integrated schools in New Zealand. In Mathematics and Statistics, students explore relationships in quantities, space, and data and learn to express these relationships in ways that help them to make sense of the world around them. It comes into effect on 1 January 2026. The years 11 to 13 content is provided on a companion page.

We have also provided the Mathematics and Statistics Years 0-10 curriculum in PDF format. You can access these from the File Downloads menu below.

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Ānō me he whare pūngāwerewere.

Behold, it is like the web of a spider.

This whakataukī celebrates intricacy, complexity, interconnectedness, and strength. The learning area of mathematics and statistics weaves together the effort and creativity of many cultures that over time have used mathematical and statistical ideas to understand their world.

Y0-10 Maths explainer

Tauwhaituhi ā-kiriata

Purpose Statement

The Mathematics and Statistics Learning Area equips students with conceptual and procedural knowledge that empowers them to explore and make sense of the world. Mathematics and Statistics allows students to appreciate and draw on the power of abstraction, visualisation, and symbolic representation to connect new knowledge to their current understandings of quantity, space, time, data, and uncertainty. Students are taught logical reasoning and critical thinking skills that help them to evaluate information, question assumptions, and express ideas clearly.

Through the study of mathematical and statistical reasoning, students learn how to differentiate what is probable from what is possible and draw reliable conclusions about what is reasonable. As students are taught to notice patterns and variation, select approaches, draw conclusions, and justify their solutions, they build confidence in their mathematical and statistical abilities and problem-solving skills, applying these to new contexts.

The Mathematics and Statistics Learning Area provides students with concepts and tools to investigate, represent, and connect situations, as well as to generalise, explain, and justify their findings. Students learn that Mathematics and Statistics is a creative discipline that sparks curiosity and wonder and that it has been shaped by the contributions of diverse people and cultures over time.

As students progress through the Learning Area, they deepen their understanding of how to use mathematics and statistics accurately, efficiently, and confidently in increasingly complex ways. They are encouraged to engage with important societal issues — such as ethically gathering, interpreting, and communicating data — and to observe and describe similarities, patterns, and trends across natural, technological, and social contexts.

Learning Area Structure

The year-by-year teaching sequences for Mathematics and Statistics lay out the knowledge and practices to be taught each year. The teaching sequences for Years 0–10 are organised into six strands: Number, Algebra, Measurement, Geometry, Statistics, and Probability.

Number focuses on numerical concepts and systems. It develops students’ understanding of how numbers are used to represent quantities, estimate, measure, and perform calculations, and how number systems have evolved to meet practical and social needs.

Algebra focuses on generalisation and mathematical reasoning. It develops students’ understanding of how patterns and relationships can be represented using symbols, graphs, and diagrams, and how algebraic thinking supports problem solving and communication.

Measurement focuses on quantifying phenomena using units and systems. It develops students’ understanding of how to measure tangible and intangible quantities using standard and non-standard units, and how measurement systems vary across cultures and contexts.

Geometry focuses on shape, space, and transformation. It develops students’ understanding of how to visualise, represent, and reason about objects and their position, orientation, and movement, drawing on geometric ideas used across cultures and in the natural world.

Statistics focuses on data and uncertainty. It develops students’ understanding of how to collect, organise, and interpret data in context, and how statistical thinking supports informed decision making.

Probability focuses on chance and likelihood. It develops students’ understanding of how to quantify uncertainty, make predictions, and evaluate the likelihood of events, supporting probabilistic reasoning in everyday and applied contexts.

The year-by-year teaching sequences, organised through strands and elements, set out what is to be taught. Their enactment is shaped by teachers, who design learning in response to their learners, adjusting the order and emphasis, and adding contexts and content as appropriate.

Introduction

Across years 0–10, Mathematics and Statistics takes students on a journey of increasingly sophisticated thinking about number, patterns, space, and data. Through purposeful exploration and practice, students build the knowledge and fluency they need to solve problems, reason logically, and make sense of the world around them.

The mathematical and statistical processes of investigating, representing and connecting situations, and generalising, explaining, and justifying findings are fundamental to all mathematical and statistical teaching and underpin the way students gain understanding of the knowledge and practices being taught.

Years 0–3

In years 0-3, teaching focuses on building students’ ability to investigate, classify, and describe quantities, shapes, and data. Teachers draw attention to properties of numbers and attributes of shapes.  Materials and pictures support visualisation of these numerical and geometric concepts. Explicit teaching enables students to make connections between representations and to develop their reasoning.

Years 4–6

In years 4–6, teaching focuses on students’ use of a variety of representations to model number operations and to solve word problems. They extend their understanding of whole numbers to fractions and decimals, and they visualise, classify, and draw angles using benchmarks to support and justify their classifications. Students apply their knowledge of number operations to reasoning about measurements and to investigating variations in patterns, shapes, probabilities, and data. They begin to work with exponents, can tell the time, and convert between units of time.

Years 7–8

In years 7 and 8, teaching focuses on students’ use of logic and reasoning to identify, clarify, and solve problems, make connections between mathematical and statistical concepts, and investigate patterns and variation. They use appropriate conventions, vocabulary, and algebraic notation to clearly explain solutions and justify their approaches to solving problems. Students select, use, and adapt representations to visualise and extend their reasoning (e.g. number lines to represent integers, and equations to represent linear patterns). They make generalisations, identify and calculate unknown quantities (e.g. the size of angles), and use data visualisations to evaluate claims and make conjectures. They begin to explore irrational numbers and to operate fluently with integers.

Years 9–10

In years 9 and 10, teaching focuses on students’ use of proportional reasoning to transform numerical quantities, measurements, and shapes, including right-angled triangles. They begin to generalise their understanding and application of tables, equations, and graphs, including to explore patterns and the connections between different representations. They extend their understanding of area, perimeter, and volume for a variety of 2D shapes, including circles, and 3D shapes, including prisms. They use data visualisations to investigate, represent, and explain patterns, trends, and variation, and they apply their knowledge to situations involving chance.

The Mathematics and Statistics learning area prepares students with the knowledge and practices they need to access related curriculum subjects in years 11–13, such as Statistics, Mathematics, and Physics.

Assessment requirements

High-quality assessment information should be used to inform the development and implementation of teaching and learning programmes, communicate student progress and achievement to parents, and monitoring and evaluation of how well the school is supporting every student to progress and achieve across the curriculum.

Using assessment to understand student progress and achievement

Assessment is an essential component of quality teaching and learning. Timely, high-quality, assessment information enables informed decision-making by teachers, whānau, and school leaders to improve student outcomes and progress. Its ultimate purpose is to empower students to reach their full potential by making learning visible, measurable, and actionable.

Using robust assessment data allows teachers to tailor their teaching to what works best for their students, including identifying areas where additional support is required. It also enables schools to provide parents, whānau, and caregivers with clear, meaningful information about their child’s progress at school.

School leaders are responsible for ensuring systems and strategies are in place to closely monitor student progress and achievement and to prioritise actions that support classroom teaching. This includes the use of specified assessment tools as outlined below.

Teachers actively assess student progress in relation to the year-by-year teaching sequences, using effective assessment practices. As teachers are monitoring progress and achievement, they pay particular attention to whether students are making sufficient progress to engage in the next year of learning.

Effective assessment practices involve consistently monitoring, responding to, and reporting on student progress and achievement. This includes synthesising information from observations, conversations with students, periodic tasks and data from assessment tools (including those specified below) to build a well-rounded understanding of each student's knowledge and capabilities.

Using formative assessment to inform explicit teaching

Formative assessment is essential to explicit teaching because it helps teachers check what students understand at each step of the learning process. It allows them to adjust their instruction in real time by clarifying, modelling, or reteaching, so that every student can confidently move forward with new learning.

Assessment enables teachers to notice and recognise students’ development, consolidation, and proficient use of learning area knowledge within daily lessons, and to provide timely, targeted feedback. Teachers respond to assessment insights by adapting their practice, for example, by adjusting the level of scaffolding or support provided.

In addition to ongoing observations, teachers use purposefully designed formative assessment tasks at key points throughout a unit or topic. These tasks highlight the concepts and reasoning students understand and apply, helping teachers identify learning barriers and ensure every student can demonstrate what they know and can do.

When planning next steps in teaching and learning, teachers consider students’ strengths and responses along with opportunities for consolidation. These next steps may include:

designing scaffolds to support and enrich students learning
providing opportunities for students to apply new learning
planning lessons that revise, reteach, or consolidate learning.

Timely feedback and immediate attention to misconceptions helps students grasp new ideas efficiently and accurately, while also promoting deeper learning. Teachers use this feedback to prompt recall of prior knowledge, encourage connection between concepts and ideas, and expand students’ understanding.

Specific assessment requirements — assessment tools

The assessment tools outlined here must be used in conjunction with other assessment approaches, such as observation, conversations, self-assessment, and learning activities. The results from these tools are shared with parents and whānau to keep them well informed about their child’s progress.

Assessment tools for twice yearly assessment of maths for Year 3–8 students

The use of reliable assessment tools alongside teacher’s day-to-day observations, helps teachers notice each student’s next learning steps, track their progress, and ensure timely support for those who need it.

School boards and principals must make sure that staff administer twice-yearly assessments for each student in Years 3–8 to monitor their progress in maths using one of the following tools:

SMART (Student, Monitoring, Assessment and Report Tool), provided by the Ministry of Education
PATs (Progressive Achievement Tests), provided by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research
e-asTTle (during 2026 only), provided by the Ministry of Education.

For some students, teachers may need to address barriers associated with the environment, equipment, or engagement to enable them to successfully participate in and demonstrate their knowledge during assessments.

For a small number of students with additional learning needs it may not be appropriate to use the specified tools. In these cases, alternative assessment methods should be used to assess progress maths learning progress for the twice-yearly assessments, as agreed in the student’s support plan.

Overall assessments of how students are progressing against curricula expectations

Monitoring each student’s progress and achievement across all earning areas is essential. This requires the use of high-quality information informed by effective assessment practices, including robust and reliable assessment tools. It is important to monitor how each student is progressing and achieving across each learning area, using good quality information that is informed by effective assessment practices, including the use of robust and reliable assessment tools. It is critical that teachers have confidence in the evidence they use to support their instructional decisions.

To ensure consistency in how teachers make and communicate informed decisions about students’ progress in Mathematics & Statistics school boards and principals must ensure that staff use the common progress descriptors, Emerging, Developing, Consolidating, Proficient, and Exceeding — for each student, as outlined below.

Emerging
Students require support to meet curriculum expectation for their year level and/or goals as described in their personalised learning plan.

Developing
Students are making some progress towards curriculum expectations for their year level.

Consolidating
Students are meeting many curriculum expectations for their year level and are steadily strengthening their understanding across learning areas.

Proficient
Students are meeting curriculum expectations for their year level.

Exceeding
Students are exceeding curriculum expectations for their year level.

When making an informed decision, teachers need to consider progress and achievement across each knowledge strand of the learning area and select the progress descriptor that best describes how the student’s progress is tracking towards the end of year expectation. Teachers should then use these strand level informed decisions to make an overall assessment of progress across the learning area. To do this, teachers should refer to the learning area sequence for each year level.

If assessments conducted during the school year show that a student is at the Consolidating, Proficient, or Exceeding level, then their progress is considered to be on track. For students identified at Proficient and Exceeding, teachers should provide extended learning opportunities and enrichment activities that reflect the breadth and depth of the curriculum.

If a student is at the Emerging or Developing level, their progress is considered to not be on track to meet curriculum expectations for their year level. For these students, teachers will need to adjust classroom practice, develop individualised responses, or trigger additional learning support. When appropriate, teachers should report against the goals outlined in the student’s support plan.

If end-of-year assessments indicate that a student is at the Proficient or Exceeding level, their progress is considered to have met curriculum expectations. Students assess at the Emerging, Developing, or Consolidating levels, are considered to have not yet met curriculum expectations for their year level.

For students with additional learning needs, who have individualised progress goals and assessments outlined in their support plans, the common descriptors should generally still be used. However, in these cases, the descriptors reflect the student’s overall progress against their individual goals rather than the year level curriculum expectations. School leaders must ensure that monitoring systems clearly indicate when descriptors are being applied to individualised goals, while also maintaining visibility of progress toward year-level curriculum expectations.

Reading, writing, and maths teaching time requirements

The teaching and learning of reading, writing¹, and maths² is a priority for all schools. So that all students are getting sufficient teaching and learning time for reading, writing, and maths, each school board with students in Years 0–8 must, through its principal and staff, structure their teaching and learning programmes and/or timetables to provide:

10 hours per week of teaching and learning focused on supporting students’ progress and achievement in reading and writing, and recognising the important contribution oral language development makes, particularly in the early phases of learning
5 hours per week of teaching and learning focused on supporting students’ progress and achievement in maths.

Where reading, writing, and/or maths teaching and learning time is occurring within the context of national curriculum statements other than English or Mathematics & Statistics, the progression of students’ reading, writing, and/or maths dispositions, knowledge, and skills at the appropriate level must be explicitly and intentionally planned for and attended to.

Boards must also continue to give effect to the existing Structuring teaching time for reading, writing and maths foundation curriculum policy statement for The New Zealand Curriculum

1. While the terms reading and writing are used, these expectations are inclusive of alternative methods of communication, including New Zealand Sign Language, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), and Braille.

2. For simplicity, ‘maths’ is used as an all-encompassing term to refer to the grouping of subject matter, dispositions, skills, competencies, and understandings that encompasses all aspects of numeracy, mathematics, and statistics.

Regulatory context and implementation requirements

The National Curriculum for schooling consists of two pathways that together provide the statement of official policy relating to teaching, learning, and assessment in state and state-integrated schools in New Zealand:

Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, which is designed for delivery in te reo Māori immersion and bilingual settings
the New Zealand Curriculum, which is designed for delivery in all other state and state-integrated settings.

This document is the Mathematics & Statistics Years 0–10 learning area (2025) for the New Zealand Curriculum. The Pāngarau Years 0–10 wāhanga ako (2025) for settings using Te Marautanga o Aotearoa is published separately.

The Mathematics & Statistics Years 0–10 learning area is published by the Minister of Education under section 90(1) of the Education and Training Act 2020 (the Act) as a foundation curriculum policy statement and a national curriculum statement. These are the statements of official policy in relation to the teaching of Mathematics & Statistics that give direction to each school’s curriculum and assessment responsibilities (section 127 of the Act), teaching and learning programmes (section 164 of the Act), and monitoring and reporting of student performance (section 165 of the Act and associated Regulations). School boards must ensure that they and their principal and staff give effect to these statements.

The sections of the Mathematics & Statistics Years 0–10 learning area that are published as a foundation curriculum policy statement are the teaching sequence guidance (that sits ahead of the year-by-year teaching sequences) and assessment requirements. These set out expectations for teaching, learning, and assessment that underpin the Mathematics & Statistics national curriculum statement and give direction for effective Mathematics & Statistics teaching and learning programmes. The rest is published as a national curriculum statement. This sets out what students are expected to learn over their time at school, including the desirable levels of knowledge, understanding, and skill to be achieved in Mathematics & Statistics.

The foundation curriculum policy statement and national curriculum statement for the Mathematics & Statistics Years 0-10 learning area come into effect on 1 January 2026, replacing the existing Mathematics & Statistics learning area statements through to Year 10 (curriculum level 6). The remainder of the existing (2009) national curriculum statement for the Mathematics & Statistics learning area remains in force for Years 11–13 (curriculum levels 7–8). Schools should choose the appropriate Mathematics & Statistics learning area statements for their students’ needs. For example, schools may choose to make use of the Years 0–10 teaching sequence for some senior secondary students if they are working below curriculum level 7.

Mathematics and Statistics Years 0–10 Glossary

Word or phrase	Description
Abstraction	The process of identifying and extracting the fundamental structures, patterns, or properties of a mathematical or statistical concept, detaching it from its original context to create a more general idea.
Additive identity	Zero will not change the value when added to a number. For example, 16 + 0 = 16.
Algebraic expression	A single mathematical expression that can be a number or a variable that may or may not have exponents, or combinations of these that is written as products or quotients. Examples include 8, x², 8x², 8—x², or 3²a⁷m—bc⁴.
Algorithm	A set of step-by-step instructions to perform a computation.
Arithmetically (growing pattern)	A description of a pattern that grows when each term increases or decreases by adding or subtracting a constant value.
Associative property	A property of operation where three or more numbers can be added or multiplied in any grouping without changing the result. For example, (4 + 3) + 7 = 4 + (3 + 7) because 7 + 7 = 4 + 10, and (4 × 3) × 5 = 4 × (3 × 5).
Attribute	A geometric characteristic or feature of an object or common feature of a group of objects — such as size, shape, colour, number of sides.
Base ten	Our number value system with ten digit symbols (0-9); the place value of a digit in a number depends on its position; as we move to the left, each column is worth ten times more, with zero used as a placeholder; to the right, the system continues past the ones’ column, to create decimals (tenths, hundredths, thousandths); the decimal point marks the column immediately to the right as the tenths column.
Benchmarks	A reference point that we can use for comparison or estimation. For example, “My finger is about one centimetre wide.”
Bivariate data	Bivariate data is data in a set that has two variables for each subject.
Categorical variables	A variable that classifies objects or individuals into groups or categories. For example, hair colour, breed of dog.
Chance	The likelihood that an outcome will occur.
Claim	A statement of interpretation drawn from mathematical or statistical data.
Coefficient	In an algebraic term, the coefficient is the number that multiplies the variable. For example, in the term 3y, 3 is the coefficient.
Commutative property	A property of operations where numbers can be added or multiplied in any order without changing the result. For example, 5 + 6 = 6 + 5 or 7 × 8 = 8 × 7.
Compose, decompose, recompose	Compose is to make a shape using other shapes. Decompose is to break a shape into other shapes. Recompose is to form the broken pieces of a shape into its original shape.
Conditional probabilities	The possibility of an event or outcome happening, based on the existence of a previous event or outcome.
Conjecture	A mathematical or statistical statement whose truth or otherwise is yet to be determined through analysis or computation.
Constant	A fixed value or a specific unchanging number in an equation, function, or expression.
Data	A collection of facts, numbers, or information; the individual values of which are often the results of an experiment or observations.
Data collection methods	Questions asked to get the data; carefully posed to ensure that the data will help to answer the intended investigative question.
Data visualisations	A graphical, tabular, or pictorial representation of information or data.
Discrete materials	Separate objects that can be counted and grouped. For example, counters or ice block sticks.
Discrete numerical variables	Variables that can be counted and have a limited range of possibilities. For example, number of students in each team or the result of rolling a die.
Distribution	In mathematics, distribution describes spreading terms out equally across an expression; in statistics, distribution describes how data values are spread across the range of values collected.
Element (in a repeating pattern)	In a repeating pattern, an element is the repeating core. In a growing pattern, an element is a section of the pattern. For example, in the Fibonacci sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, the next element is the sum of the previous two elements (5 + 8 = 13).
Equation	A number statement that contains an equal sign. The expressions on either side of the equal sign have the same value (are equal).
Equivalent fractions	Fractions that represent the same value or number. For example, 1—2, 2—4, 3—6, and 4—8 are equivalent fractions because they represent the same number.
Estimate	A rough judgement of quantity, value, or number. In statistics, an assessment of the value of an existing, but unknown, quantity. In probability, an estimate is the probability that results from the outcome of an experiment
Event	One or more outcomes from a probability activity, situation, or experiment.
Evidence	Information, findings, data that support (prove) a statement or argument.
Expression	Two or more terms involving numbers and/or variables connected by operations. Expressions do not include an equal or inequality sign.
Function	The expression or equation which describes the relationship between two variables, where every x value has a unique y value. This can be written using mathematical notation or shown as a graph in the XY plane.
Geometrically	A description of a pattern that grows when each term increases or decreases by multiplying or dividing a constant value.
Group of interest	Who the data is collected from in a statistics investigation.
Growing pattern	A pattern where there is a constant increase or decrease between each term. For example, 5, 10, 15, 20.
Inequality	A mathematical statement in which one number or expression is greater or less than another.
Inference	Making a conclusion based on evidence and reasoning.
Informal unit	A non-standard unit used to measure. For example, blocks, pens, fingers. The informal units used should all be the same size.
Inverse operations	The opposite operation, so addition is inverse to subtraction, and multiplication is inverse to division. They are useful to check calculations. For example, to check 4 × 5 = 20, we can see if 20 ÷ 5 = 4.
Investigative question	A question that guides inquiry in an investigative study.
Irrational number	A real number that cannot be expressed as a ratio of two integers. Examples are π and √4.
Justify	Use previously accepted statements and mathematical reasoning, evidence, or proof to explain statements about a conjecture.
Number sentence	An equation or inequality expressed using numbers and mathematical symbols. For example, 10 + 10 = 3 + 7 + 5 + 5.
Ordinal	The numerical position of the element in the sequence. For example, first, second, third, and so on.
Orientation	The angle at which an object is positioned.
Outcome	A possible result of a trial of a probability activity or a situation involving an element of chance.
Population	Group of individuals, items, or data used for an investigative study.
Primary data	Data collected first-hand for a specific purpose. For example, a survey, experiment, or interview. (See also Secondary data).
Probability experiment	A test that can be carried out multiple times in the same way (trials). The outcome of each trial is recorded.
Quantifying	Expressing a quantity using numbers.
Question	Investigative Interrogative Survey Data Collection Analysis (Analytical Question)
Rational number	A real number that can be expressed as a ratio of two integers. This includes integers, decimals, and fractions.
Rationalise	The process of eliminating roots or imaginary numbers from the denominator of a fraction.
Reasoning	Analysing a situation and using mathematical and statistical methods to arrive at a finding or conclusion.
Reciprocal	The inverse of a number or function, also known as the multiplicative inverse, for example, the reciprocal of 3—x is x—3.
Relative frequency	The number of times an event occurs divided by the total number of possible outcomes.
Repeating pattern	A pattern containing a 'unit of repeat'. For example, red, green, blue, red, green, blue.
Secondary data	Data collected by someone else, or a process, and/or obtained from another source. For example, online, books, other researchers. (See also Primary data).
Similarity	This is used to describe figures that have the same features, but different sizes. For example, two triangles both having angles of 40°, 60° and 80° but different side lengths.
Subitise	Instantly recognise the number of items in an arrangement without counting.
Tangible and intangible	Tangible is an object that can be touched. For example, a group of blocks. Intangible is a quality or measurement that cannot be touched. For example, colour or length.
Term (in a pattern)	One of the numbers in a pattern or sequence. For example, for 2, 4, 6, 8, the second term is 4.
Theoretical probability	A calculation of how likely an event is to occur in a situation involving chance.
Uncertainty	In probability, when the chance of an event occurring is unknown.
Unit of repeat	The part of a repeating pattern that repeats. The part is made up of several elements.
Variables (statistics and algebra)	A property or quantity that can take on different values. In statistics, a variable represents characteristics that may vary among individuals or over time. In algebra, a variable typically represents an unknown value or a quantity that can change within a given context.
Variation	The differences seen in the values of a property for different individuals or at different times.
Visualisation	The process of creating a mental or visual representation of data, concepts, or ideas. It can involve mentally imagining or manipulating information or visually representing data.

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NZC - Mathematics and statistics Phases 1–4 (Years 0–10)