The Briefing | Issue No. 15

Rāhina 1 o Pipiri 2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPNE437Pa6I

Afterschool Special: Phase 5 Science Subjects Live with Claire Coleman and Lian Soh.

Kia ora koutou

Last week I had the honour of joining Claire Coleman on AEC's live Afterschool Special webinar on the Phase 5 science subjects. As the consultation window is incredibly short, Claire has also prepared a microsite which includes snapshot summaries based on the findings from a panel of science educators.

Thirty minutes is not a lot of time, so some of you will also appreciate the whakaaro (ideas) from Rosemary Hipkins in Three curriculum concerns and a strategy.

On the subject of curriculum feedback, we are all good to go for our Working Group Hui āpōpō (tomorrow). If by chance you have been meaning to register your attendance but have completely forgotten, kei te pai (all good) just come along.

For our readers who can't make it; if you would still like to contribute towards our Phase 5 feedback we have two remote options ready:

• a survey to collect broad comments which will help us identify initial impressions and broad themes,
  

• digital instances of curriculum materials where you can directly annotate/comment on highly specific areas of the draft (these will form our External Review Group chapter, e.g. on p216 - p 291 from our Phase 1-4 feedback). Email us and we'll share you into your own personal folder; this closes on June 5 2026.

You might also be interested in NZAEE's webinar coming up on Wednesday June 3rd for more advice on feeding back on the curriculum drafts. Register here.

Finally, as we're anticipating a significant volume of feedback to compile following tomorrows hui, we will likely skip our June 07 newsletter.

Kia kaha for all that you do,

Lian Soh

info@bayscience.nz

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      GENERAL NEWS

• Don't forget to register for Tauranga Free Tree Day. If you are reading from Auckland, you also have the opportunity this month to collect a free seedling from various nurseries.
  

• A variety of volunteering opportunities are available at the Kiwi Conservation Club.
  

Reminders:

• This year for 2026, Matariki Te Tauranga o ngā Waka embraces Ururangi as its theme, provided by renowned Māori navigator Jack Thatcher. A variety of public events are available starting May 30!
  

• Te Ranga School's Possum and Pest Hunt competition returns on June 04 through to June 07.

  
  

• Vote for NZ’s Fungus of the Year 2026! (Bioeconomy Science Institute)
  

• Wingspan Photography Competition | Wingspan Birds of Prey Trust is on the hunt for spectacular imagery to feature in their annual fundraising calendar
  

• The Australia New Zealand Marine Biotechnology Society (ANZMBS) conference, held every two years, is coming to Tauranga on August 26-28.
  

      EVENT FORECAST

Our full calendar is available here. More than half of our readers are from beyond the Bay of Plenty. Let us know how we can help promote your event. June 02

• [Bay of Plenty] Cluster #2 - Working Group Hui (Bay Science)

• [Online] ESSENZ Webinar | Unpacking the Level 1 External 92046 & Examiner’s Report (ESSENZ)

• [Dunedin] Curriculum & Assessment Roadshow for Leaders (Ministry of Education)

June 03

• [Rotorua] Time to Tackle Food Waste! (Envirohub)

June 04

• [Bay of Plenty] Te Ranga School Possum and Pest Hunt 2026

• [Online] Level 3 AgHort Achievement Standards – Questions and Answers | External moderation webinar

• [Online] A Cautionary Tale on Curriculum Reform (Aotearoa Educators Collective)

• [Taupō] Greening Taupō Day (Kids Greening Taupō)

• [Nelson/Marlborough] Info Evening Nelson/Marlborough (University of Canterbury)

• [Auckland] Prof Brian Cox - Emergence - Worldwide Tour

• [New Plymouth] GSNZ Taranaki branch meeting (Geoscience Society of New Zealand)

June 05

• [Hamilton] Fossil Fest (Waikato Museum)

• [Christchurch] Curriculum & Assessment Roadshow for Leaders (Ministry of Education)

• [Online] Connecting for Impact – The PISA for Schools Exchange (OECD Education and Skills)

June 06

• [Online] UNESCO Launches New Early Childhood Ocean Literacy Toolkit Webinar (UNESCO)

• [Tauranga] Free Tree Day 2026 (Tauranga City Council)

• [Tauranga] Fascinating Fungi Public Talk with David Whyte (EcoSci Events)

• [Waitakere] Tiny Titans of Aotearoa - Exhibition Opening (Arataki Visitor Centre)

June 07

• [Omanawa] Fungi Finding & Identification Walk (10:30am) with David Whyte (FUNNZ) - McLaren Falls Park (EcoSci Events)

June 08

• [Tauranga] Curriculum & Assessment Roadshow for Leaders (Ministry of Education)

• [Tauranga] The Footprints of Artificial Intelligence (The University of Waikato)

• [Worldwide] World Ocean Day
  

June 09

• [Online] ESSENZ Webinar | Ideas for Field Trips and Outreach Opportunities (ESSENZ)

• [Wellington] Curriculum & Assessment Roadshow for Leaders (Ministry of Education)

• [Wellington] World Ocean Day Quiz 2026 (Mountains to Sea Wellington)

• [Wellington] Info Evening Wellington (University of Canterbury)
  

June 10

• [Rotorua] 140 Years Since the Eruption of Mount Tarawera (Rotorua Library & Rotorua Museum)

• [Waikato] Fieldays 2026 begins.

• [Online] Curriculum Insights Science Reports Webinar Series (Curriculum Insights and Progress Study)

• [Lower Hutt] Info Evening Lower Hutt (University of Canterbury)
  

June 11

• [Whakamārama] Using iNaturalist: Fungi Finding & Photographing Walk - Puketoki Reserve (EcoSci Events)

• [Auckland] Curriculum & Assessment Roadshow for Leaders (Ministry of Education)
  

June 12

• [Online] Get Ready Civil Defense Schools Challenge Closes (National Emergency Management Agency)

• [Online] Levelling the playing field: Insights from the latest OECD Skills Outlook (OECD Education and Skills)

• [Tauranga] 2026 Tauranga Innovative Education Summit (University of Waikato)

• [Tauranga] 2026 Tauranga AI Business Summit Fundraiser (Mount Maunganui College)
  

June 13

• [Auckland] Tidepool Discovery Week (Sir Peter Blake MERC)
  

June 14

• [Tauranga] Intro to 3D printing: Mushroom bookmarks + Tinkd Makerspace Tour (Tinkd Makerspace)
  

June 14

• [Reminder]: Consultation on the draft Phase 5 science curriculum closes at 11:59 pm.

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CONFERENCE WATCHLIST (CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER)

• Science Communicators of Aotearoa NZ Conference (Jun 24-26); early bird registrations extended until May 7th!

• ASERA 2026 (Australasian Science Education Research Association) takes place in Brisbane (30 June - 3 July).

• NZ International Science Festival (15-19 July)

• New Zealand Association of Environmental Education Conference (5 - 7 October Tāmaki Makaurau).

• NZ Plant Conservation Network conference (Oct 12-15)

• Chem-Ed Biolive by SCENZ and BEANZ (Nov 18-20)

      RESOURCES & EXPERIENCES

The following have been added to our Experiences page and Resources directory. Our Resources directory only saves items which are free and which do not require a login.

• Kiwi Conservation Club has uploaded a printable scavenger hunt.
  

• Ocean Literacy UNESCO has shared a small activity sheet Exploring Density and Currents from the SEA BYOND Ocean Literacy Centre.
  

• NASA's Jep Propulsion Laboratory has a range of quick lessons in context:
  

  • Mineral Mystery Experiment - In this activity, students will explore the science behind an intriguing feature on the dwarf planet Ceres and a discovery on Mars. Students will dissolve various salts into water, make predictions about what will happen when the solutions are left to dry.
    

  • Parachute Design - students will design and test parachute landing systems to successfully land a probe on target. After testing, students can optimize their parachutes by experimenting with different materials and shapes for their parachute designs.
    

  • How Far Away Is Space? - A measurement and scale activity where you stack coins to get a sense of how far space really is from the surface of Earth.
    

  • Make a Paper Ring Wing Glider - Airplanes of the future may look very different from those of today. One of the designs NASA has studied is the ring-wing, an aircraft with a circular wing.
    

  • How Do We See Dark Matter? - Students will make observations of two containers in order to identify differences in content, justify their claims, and make comparisons to dark matter observations.
    

• University of Canterbury has a range of learning resources (videos, worksheets and loanable kits). Examples include:
  

  • Photosynthesis kit

  • Gel electrophoresis kit (for kura local to UC only).

  • Downloadable science posters for the classroom
    

• Pattern Radio: Whale Songs is a website that lets anyone explore thousands of hours of humpback whale songs. It’s a new kind of tool that visualizes audio at a vast scale.
  

• Make your own planisphere, a map of our night sky.
  

• Spaceward Bound have updated their website and programme options.
  

      RANGATAHI OPPORTUNITIES

Reminders; these opportunities are still open!

• [Nationwide] The Get Ready Civil Defence Schools Challenge has returned for 2026 with 15 iPads to be won for participating schools (Closes June 12).
  

• [Nationwide] Solve for Tomorrow is a nationwide competition challenging New Zealand’s next generation of innovators to unleash their creativity and use STEAM to help improve their communities (Closes June 12)
  

• [Wellington] The New Zealand Institute of Chemistry (NZIC) Wellington branch has locked in June 17 for its chemistry quiz and titration competition.
  

• [Waikato] Teachers are being encouraged to register their school group(s) for Fieldays 10–13 June, at Mystery Creek Events Centre, with discounted student tickets available for groups of 10 or more at NZ$10 each, a 45% discount off the child rate. Fieldays provides opportunities designed to connect classroom learning with real-world careers across New Zealand’s primary industries.
  

• [Nationwide] Westpac NZ and BLAKE are running a nationwide competition to giveaway 15 immersive VR learning experiences (Closes May 31).
  

• [Nationwide] To celebrate a decade of growth and innovation in our local aerospace industry, the New Zealand Space Agency (NZSA) is inviting primary and intermediate students to leave their mark on history through the "Patch to the Future" competition (Closes June 5).
  

• [Nationwide] The Bubble Spectacular, starring Dr. Hubble, is touring various town centres in the July school holidays. Tickets here.
  

• NIWA Science and Technology Fairs are happening in various regions from August 24 to September 05.  It's also probably not too late to register for Te Tūkohu Ngāwha Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair.

  
  

      KAIAKO OPPORTUNITIES

• The Ministry of Education's Curriculum and Assessment Roadshow for leaders kicks off this week.

  • Dunedin: June 02

  • Christchurch: June 05

  • Tauranga: June 08

  • Wellington: June 09

  • Auckland: June 11
    

• Curriculum leadership PLD (self-directed modules) are now available on Tāhurangi.

  • Curriculum Leadership PLD resources for English Medium

  • Curriculum Leadership PLD resources for Māori Medium
    

• The University of Auckland is running a free online webinar for anyone interested in doing a Masters of Educational Leadership.
  

• The Curriculum Insights and Progress Study has officially released its highly anticipated findings drawing on national data collected from student learning. To help educators unpack what these findings mean for the science classroom, the study team is hosting a range of short, free webinar series this June which also includes a specific focus on science.
  

Reminders:

• [Nationwide] The Maurice Wilkins Centre (MWC) has just announced its 2026 Teacher Professional Development Days.
  

• [Tauranga] The 2026 Tauranga Innovative Education Summit is set to return to the Bay of Plenty on June 12.
  

• [Nationwide] Nominations are now open for the 2026 National Excellence in Teaching Awards, the longest running, community based awards program that recognises teaching excellence in Australia and New Zealand.
  

• [Nationwide] The New Zealand Institute of Chemistry (NZIC) has officially opened its 2026 prize round, including an educators award.

• [Online, International] Science is Cool Unconference is coming up on July 23rd; an all day teacher PD. YouTube highlight reel below. This is now a two day event. Ngā mihi Jim Critchley for letting us know.
  

      EDUCATION ASSOCIATION UPDATES

This month's updates are available here. New changes for the week are below.

• AEC

  • Three curriculum concerns and a strategy (Rosemary Hipkins)

  • School Briefs: A Bland Budget and the Small, Tight Network Shaping Curriculum (AEC YouTube)

  • Afterschool Special: Phase 5 Science Subjects Live (Claire Coleman and Lian Soh)

  • Launch of Still Beyond Capacity (AEC)
    

• ESSENZ

  • Reminder: following from Term 1, ESSENZ also has a range of webinars scheduled for Term 2. Ngā mihi Najin and Jim.

  • 
    

• HATA

  • HATA has organised an online regional hub for BoP on June 3 (3:30 pm - 4:00 pm) to discuss Phase 5 consultation. Contact Suzy: s.newman@stpauls.school.nz

    
    

• NZAEE

  • Join us next Wednesday afternoon for an online session that will include more detail about these updates and advice for giving feedback on the Phase 5 (Yr 11 - 13) curriculum drafts that are open for consultation now | CLICK HERE to register for the session on June 3rd.
    

      SCIENCE CURRICULUM

Expected release date of the finalised curriculum for Yr 0 - 10 is the start of Term Three, around the middle of July.

Reminders:

• Consultation for Phase 5 of the draft science curriculum closes on June 15 at 11:59 pm.
  

• Additional annual plans are now available (this includes a range of subjects; for science, new unit plans in chemistry have been included).
  

• Curriculum and Assessment Roadshow for Leaders (register here)
  

      NCEA & ASSESSMENT

Reminders:

• The Government has confirmed details of the new qualification that will replace NCEA from 2028. The Beehive Press Release, email to principals, and Tāhurangi announcement have been collated here.

  
  

      PIVOTAL PERSPECTIVES

Readings and talks which may be relevant to us; commentaries and research relevant to science education and curriculum reform.

• [PDF] Curriculum Overload; A Way Forward (OECD) The rapidly changing world places new demands on society and especially the education sector. Skills, attitudes, values, and knowledge about topics such as digital and data literacy, globalisation, literacy for sustainable development, and computational thinking are ever more relevant. Interest groups, parents, teachers, school leaders, and governments may put pressure on the curriculum to change in response to these novel demands. At the same time, curriculum lacks the space to easily add new content without causing overcrowding in the curriculum.
  

• The Palgrave Handbook of Climate Change Research in Transdisciplinary Education Vol 1 has just been published.

  • Springer Nature Link

  • Amazon

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Should NCEA be replaced?

• 0%No
• 0%Yes
• 0%Don't know

Findings from previous informal polls

• 56% of readers are not trialling or implementing the draft science curriculum, in Term 1 2026
  

• 88% of readers would like General Science to be a subject in Year 12 and 13
  

• 84% of readers have major concerns about the draft science learning area
  

• 69% of readers think that the pace of the science curriculum changes feels too fast 
  

• 94% of readers think that the Nature of Science should be explicitly taught in the science curriculum 
  

• 83% of readers do not think that draft science curriculum adequately prepares students for a world shaped by AI, climate change and global uncertainty.
  

• 67% of readers believe the science curriculum refresh process is not working well.
  

• 77% of readers believe the draft science curriculum provides very little opportunity for student agency and action.
  

• 80% of readers feel there is far too much content in the draft science curriculum. 13% say there is slightly too much.
  

• 85% of readers think that the science curriculum should teach students how science works, including how scientists and the wider science system operate
  

• 86% of readers would like Education for Sustainability to be a subject at Year 12 and Year 13.
  

• 91% of readers would like the Nature of Science remain a core component of Phase 5 (Years 11-13) of the science curriculum.
  

• 70% of readers believe the primary purpose of Year 12-13 science should support preparing scientifically literate citizens, as well as university study.
  

• 79% of respondents want a consultation period of more than one term for each Phase 5 subject. 21% want one term.
  

• 92% of readers have little or no confidence that sector feedback will actually improve the final curriculum.
  

• 64% of science educators have identified extending the consultation timeline as a top priority, followed by reinstating the Nature of Science and reducing content overload (21%, 14% respectively).

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Bay Science is a noticeboard for science education news and events across Aotearoa New Zealand, helping educators and community members across the country. If your organisation has a kaupapa, event, or opportunity to share with the science education community, we’d love to share it.