Student achievement stable during curriculum rollout, with small improvements in some areas

Reports from the 2025 Foundation Assessments released

Student achievement in mathematics, reading, and writing at Years 3, 6, and 8 remained broadly stable in 2025, with small improvements at some year levels in mathematics and writing during this early stage of curriculum implementation. The findings point to a stable system overall, while also highlighting persistent differences in achievement associated with socioeconomic context, ethnicity, and gender.

Findings are from the 2025 Foundation Assessments of the Curriculum Insights and Progress Study (Curriculum Insights), and should be interpreted with care due to the newness of the refreshed curriculum material and its early implementation in schools. However, they add to an emerging picture of progress as implementation continues.

“Raising achievement for all learners across the motu is a significant, long-term challenge. The stability in results from 2024 to 2025, alongside small gains in some areas, is encouraging—especially in a time of curriculum change and realignment”, says Charles Darr, Conceptual Lead for Curriculum Insights. “The results point to the commitment across schools and communities to build strong learning foundations for every learner.”

Ngā kitenga | Key findings

• Overall: Across mathematics, reading, and writing, average scores in 2025 were similar to previous years, although small improvements were observed in some areas.
  
• Mathematics: Average achievement was stable at all year levels between 2024 and 2025. Since 2023, a small but statistically significant increase was observed at Year 3, with gradual movement at Year 6. Based on the provisional benchmarks set using draft curriculum material in the first year of the assessment, 25% of Year 3 students, 36% of Year 6 students, and 24% of Year 8 students met or exceeded curriculum expectations in mathematics.
  
• Reading: Average achievement remained broadly stable at Years 3, 6, and 8 between 2023 and 2025, with no statistically significant changes. Based on the provisional benchmarks, 53% of Year 3 students, 52% of Year 6 students, and 45% of Year 8 students met or exceeded the curriculum expectations for reading.
  
• Writing: Average scores increased slightly at Year 6 between 2024 and 2025, with the increase statistically significant. Changes at Years 3 and 8 were small and not statistically significant. Based on the provisional benchmarks for writing, 41% of Year 3 students, 38% of Year 6 students, and 28% of Year 8 students met or exceeded curriculum expectations.
  
• Equity patterns: Achievement in all subjects varied by socio‑economic context, ethnicity, and gender, with the largest differences associated with school socio‑economic context.
  
• Student attitudes: Across mathematics, reading, and writing, students expressed generally positive attitudes, with Year 3 students reporting higher levels of enjoyment and confidence than students in Years 6 and 8.

About the Study

The Curriculum Insights and Progress Study is run for the Ministry of Education by the University of Otago and the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER). Each year, it looks at how students are progressing and achieving, using nationally representative samples of students from state and state-integrated English-medium schools.

The assessments were developed during a period of curriculum change, with schools still in the early stages of implementing new curriculum content. Benchmark scores used to indicate whether students are meeting curriculum expectations are provisional and based on draft curriculum materials. These provisional benchmarks have been retained across assessment cycles to support comparisons over time and will be reviewed as curriculum documentation and national assessment tools are finalised.

Accessing the reports

A summary report and a data window are now available:

• He Whakarāpopoto | Summary of the 2025 Foundation Assessments: Mathematics, Reading, and Writing
• Results from the 2025 Foundation Assessments in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics (interactive data window)

More detailed reporting to follow

More detailed reports will be available for teachers later in the year. These will provide deeper insight into areas of strength for students and identify areas for further growth, supporting teaching and learning across the motu as curriculum implementation continues.

Webinar

The Study leads will be hosting a webinar for kaiako, tumuaki, and those in the education sector on Wednesday, 20 May at 3:30pm.

The webinar recording will be uploaded to our website the following day.