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Normal and Model Schools Association Conference 2025

Andy Jackson

Hautū | Deputy Secretary Te Pou Kaupapahere | Policy, Ministry of Education

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Budget 2025 highlights

  • A support package to help students, which includes:  
    • support to achieve in maths and pāngarau, including a targeted intervention staffing for Years 0 to 6
    • targeted maths and pāngarau tutoring support for up to 34,000 Years 7-8 students, starting in 2026. 
    • quality, consistent assessment and reporting of student progress and achievement through an early maths and pāngarau check and athe new SMART assessment and aromatawai tool for Years 3 to 10 in reading, writing, maths, pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau - both will be available in 2026. 
    • an expansion of structured literacy intervention staffing (increased from 271 FTTE originally to 349 FTTE), which is allocated to 961 schools this year along with PLD to support these teachers.  

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education.govt.nz

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Learning support

  • Budget 2025 delivered the largest investment into learning support in more than 20 years to better respond to the needs of Kiwi kids so they can thrive at school.
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  • This Budget package will also provide Learning Support Coordinators (LSC) for every school with Year 1 – 8 students across the country that do not currently have access to a LSC.

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  • The Ministry offers annual study awards for teachers and LSCs to complete specialist qualification programmes at Massey University. An additional 20 study awards were funded through Budget 2025. 

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education.govt.nz

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Clearer curriculum

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  • Evidence shows too many New Zealand young people are missing out on future opportunities due to declining literacy, maths, and science achievement levels.

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  • The new, year-by-year, knowledge rich, internationally aligned maths and English curricula are now being taught in all primary schools.

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education.govt.nz

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A deliberate and strategic approach to support achievement �

  • To support education leaders to lead the significant changes to our national curricula, we are hosting a Curriculum Roadshow for Leaders of Years 0 to 8 learners in Term 4.

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  • Up to 2 education leaders from each Year 0 to 8 school or kura can attend.

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  • The events will be held in Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, and Rotorua, with options to attend in person or online.

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  • The roadshow, including our additional supports and resources, will contribute to our goal to have students be at, or above, the expected curriculum level by the time they enter secondary school.

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education.govt.nz

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ITE enrolments�

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  • The number of primary ITE enrolments increased by 5.3% (75 students) from 1,425 students in 2023 to 1,500 students in 2024.
  • This is a positive change in direction but we recognise this is still lower than the average number of enrolments (1,900) seen annually pre-COVID (2015-2020).

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education.govt.nz

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Primary teacher supply�

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National Supply

  • The Ministry’s 2024 Teacher Demand & Supply Projection shows a projected national shortage of primary teachers between 2025-2027:
    • 2025 = -2.0% gap (750 teachers)
    • 2026 = -0.7% gap (260 teachers)
    • 2027 = -0.6% gap (230 teachers)

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Regional Supply

  • Beneath the national supply picture, some regions are projected to have worse or better primary teacher supply situations:

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Largest projected shortage (as % of total teacher demand)

Regions where supply is projected to exceed demand

  • Northland (-7%)
  • Bay of Plenty (- 7%)
  • Nelson (-7%)
  • Tasman (+13% – 15%)
  • Gisborne (+2.4%)
  • Marlborough (+3% - 6%)
  • Wellington (+2% - 5.9%)

education.govt.nz

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Initiatives and changes to support teacher supply�

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$53m in Budget ’24:

  • Additional 1,200 School Onsite Training Programme (SOTP) places over four years. Expanded to include Primary schools.
  • Additional 300 Overseas Relocation Grants and Finders’ Fees.

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$33.4m in Budget ’25:

  • Additional 530 SOTP places over four years and cost adjustments for the 1,200 places in Budget ’24.
  • Marketing campaigns to attract domestic and overseas aspiring teachers and learning support specialists.

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$53.3m in Budget ’25 to fund teacher fees and levies for three years.

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education.govt.nz

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School onsite training programme (SOTP)�

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  • The SOTP is delivered through one-year post-graduate qualifications. It gives student teachers the opportunity to gain practical teaching experience in a host school (minimum 3 days per week) while studying towards their teaching qualification.

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  • Funding provided is for student teachers ($19,930 bursary) and host schools ($2,000 contribution to hosting costs), and in 2024 the programme was extended to include the primary sector.

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  • Applications for schools or kura who are interested in hosting teacher trainees in 2026 is now open and will close on September 12.

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  • Start working with your ITE partner if you are interested.

education.govt.nz

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Aspiring and Beginning Principal Programmes��

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  • Through Budget 2025, the Government is backing principals by investing $30.4m in school leaders by effectively preparing teachers to move into principal roles along with ongoing support for existing principals.

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  • This funding will support up to 200 aspiring principals each year to access an Aspiring Leaders Programme and double the capacity of the Leadership Advisory Service to support an estimated 2,500 current principals, including rural, area, Māori and Pacific principals.

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  • We are currently running a procurement process to select providers who can help implement the new Aspiring and Beginning Principal Programmes across Aotearoa New Zealand starting early next year.

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  • Soon, the Ministry will be releasing a call for expression of interest (EOI) to be a mentor for an aspiring or beginning principal.

education.govt.nz

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Workforce PLD��

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  • Budget 25 is investing in professional learning and development for up to 51,000 teachers and kaiako to develop their skills and proficiency in te reo Māori and tikanga to levels where they can confidently use it in the classroom.

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  • Budget 25 is also funding the establishment of seven new Curriculum Advisor roles for Kaupapa Māori and Māori medium education settings. These advisors will have an important role in supporting teachers to understand and use the redesigned Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and its key resources.

education.govt.nz

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Questions�

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What does it mean to be a Normal or Model school in today’s world?

What can we learn from the Normal and Model school model in developing a whole-of-school approach to effectively support our student teachers?

What are your views on a more work-integrated model, and what do you think the benefits/challenges of this approach compared to more ‘traditional’ practicum-based experiences?

What do you think some of the challenges and opportunities are for strengthening and improving the ITE system?

education.govt.nz

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