Welcome to the Term 2 edition of Board Matters. We hope you managed to get some well-deserved down time over the Easter and school holiday break.
Please see the Board Task Checklist included in this update, which we hope is helpful as you work through your Term 2 meetings and work programme.
Ngā mihi nui,
The GovHub team
Your mahi for Term 2 2026
Download our Board Task Checklist, which covers the tasks you’ll need to undertake this term.
Workshops and webinars
Two important topics this term – both focused on helping boards support better outcomes for students.
Join us to explore the board’s role as a good employer and strengthen your focus on student achievement.
Being a Good Employer – The Board’s Role (Webinar)
We’ll cover what it means to be a good employer, your board’s employment responsibilities, and the board-principal relationship, with practical guidance and next steps.
Student Achievement – What We’re All Here For (Workshops or Webinar)
Learn more about student achievement, how to understand the information available, ask the right questions, and keep student outcomes at the centre of board decisions.
We’re adding more workshops, so keep checking back for new ones!
Preparing for strategic planning
We are expecting to see new Planning and Reporting Regulations come through later this term. While we wait, we know that schools are required to have a new strategic plan in place for the start of 2027.
You should use this time to plan your community consultation processes. This consultation is a chance for the board to hear what is important to your school community – including students and staff, and is required by legislation.
Have a read of our resources on Strategic Planning and once the new Regulations are published we will update you further.
Curriculum and reporting changes over 2026
The implementation of new curriculum initiatives and requirements continues to be felt across the sector. School boards are encouraged to seek updates from their principal about how these changes are progressing, including identifying any risks, and getting recommendations on how the board can support implementation.
Have a read of our resource on the National Curriculum and how you can support implementation.
SMART – a smarter way to monitor progress
SMART (Student Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting Tool) is a new, free assessment tool:
offering twiceyearly assessments in Reading, Writing and Mathematics, and in Pānui, Tuhituhi and Pāngarau, for learners in Years 3-10, and
aligning with the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.
SMART provides boards with clearer and more consistent information to support strategic planning, annual planning, and reporting. It also supports improved reporting to parents and whānau by showing clearly how learners are progressing over time.
Schools and kura can now choose to use SMART, easTTle, or PAT to meet their twice-yearly assessment requirements.
Have a read of the MOE resources on the SMART tool.
Privacy Act changes
A new Information Privacy Principle (IPP 3A) will come into effect on 1 May 2026. Under IPP3A, if an agency (such as a School Board) collects a person’s personal information from someone other than the person themselves (i.e. indirectly), then that agency is required to tell the person they now hold some personal information relating to them, unless an exception applies. You can read more about this Information Privacy Principle in The Privacy Act and School Boards article on our Resource Centre, or the Children’s Privacy Guidance for the Education Sector on the Office of the Privacy Commissioner’s website.
Fuel Response Plan
Late last term, the Government released its Fuel Response Plan. The Minister of Education has made it clear that a priority for the government is maintaining on-site classroom learning through all phases. School boards concerned about the effects of rising fuel prices on staff and student attendance or the use of a diesel boiler (if you have one) should contact their regional MOE offices.
Further information is available in the recent School Bulletin.
Variation to ASPCA and SPCA
Recent amendments to the Employment Relations Act 2000 introduced a threshold for total remuneration (including allowances) at which certain employees lose the right to raise personal grievances (PGs) for, or related to, dismissal from employment.
Variations to amend the Secondary Principals’ and Area School Principals' collective agreements to exempt principals from these provisions (for at least the terms of the current collective agreements) are currently being progressed. This effectively means the new provisions will not apply to principals.
New Zealand Education Excellence Awards nominations
The New Zealand Education Excellence Awards | Ngā Tohu Kairangi Mātauranga o Aotearoa are a new national awards programme recognising outstanding performance in schools and kura.
If your school or kura is doing great things in education, we encourage you to nominate and apply for the chance to:
celebrate your successes and win a prestigious national award
be recognised at a celebration event at Parliament
Winning schools and kura in each category will receive $20,000. Finalists will also be recognised at a national awards ceremony to be held at Parliament on Wednesday 24 June 2026.
Anyone can nominate a school or kura, including Board members, students, whānau, staff and the wider community.
The nominations close date is Friday, 24 April 2026.
Award categories by school type
For each of the award categories, awards will be presented for different school types:
primary schools with roll numbers of 1–150 students (U1–U3)
primary schools with roll numbers of 151+ students (U4+)
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