What is Health about?
Subject-specific terms can be found in the glossary.
Health is about the wellbeing of individuals, whānau, and communities. It is about developing an understanding of the factors that influence the health of these groups.
These factors could be:
- lifestyle-based
- economic
- social
- cultural
- political
- ethical
- environmental.
Ākonga will develop their understanding of Health through study of the Key Areas of Learning:
- Mental Health
- Relationships and Sexuality.
In Health, ākonga can explore Māori, Pacific, and Pākehā knowledge bases, values, and practices related to hauora. They can learn about models of health such as Te Whare Tapa Whā, Fonofale, Te Wheke, Ottawa Charter of Health Promotion, and the Bangkok Charter of Health Promotion.
By engaging in this subject, ākonga develop further understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand as a bicultural nation, with diverse viewpoints on hauora, health, and wellbeing. Ākonga will learn about how actions can enhance hauora and explore ways to manage change situations that impact health and wellbeing.
In Health, the term hauora is a concept of holistic wellbeing. Learning about hauora may be enriched by exploring cultural models such as Te Whare Tapa Whā, Te Wheke, and Fonofale. Many of these models include whakapapa, mauri, mana, and connection to whenua and te taiao. The ways in which life can influence all aspects of hauora, and provide ākonga with rich opportunities to explore interconnections with others.
Subject-specific terms can be found in the glossary.
Health is about the wellbeing of individuals, whānau, and communities. It is about developing an understanding of the factors that influence the health of these groups.
These factors could be:
- lifestyle-based
- economic
- social
- cultural
- political
- ethical
- environmental.
Ākonga will develop their understanding of Health through study of the Key Areas of Learning:
- Mental Health
- Relationships and Sexuality.
In Health, ākonga can explore Māori, Pacific, and Pākehā knowledge bases, values, and practices related to hauora. They can learn about models of health such as Te Whare Tapa Whā, Fonofale, Te Wheke, Ottawa Charter of Health Promotion, and the Bangkok Charter of Health Promotion.
By engaging in this subject, ākonga develop further understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand as a bicultural nation, with diverse viewpoints on hauora, health, and wellbeing. Ākonga will learn about how actions can enhance hauora and explore ways to manage change situations that impact health and wellbeing.
In Health, the term hauora is a concept of holistic wellbeing. Learning about hauora may be enriched by exploring cultural models such as Te Whare Tapa Whā, Te Wheke, and Fonofale. Many of these models include whakapapa, mauri, mana, and connection to whenua and te taiao. The ways in which life can influence all aspects of hauora, and provide ākonga with rich opportunities to explore interconnections with others.
Big Ideas and Significant Learning
This section outlines the meaning of, and connection between, the Big Ideas and Significant Learning, which together form the Learning Matrix. It then explains each Health Big Idea.
The Health and Physical Education Learning Area, including its whakataukī, inform this subject’s Significant Learning – learning that is critical for ākonga to know, understand, and do in a subject by the end of each Curriculum Level. This covers knowledge, skills, competencies, and attitudes. It also includes level-appropriate contexts students should encounter in their Level 7 learning.
The Learning Area's whakataukī is:
He oranga ngākau, he pikinga waiora
Positive feelings in your heart will raise your sense of self-worth.
The subject's Big Ideas and Significant Learning are collated into a Learning Matrix for Curriculum Level 7 and indicative learning for Level 8. Teachers can use the Learning Matrix as a tool to construct learning programmes that cover all the not-to-be-missed learning in a subject.
There is no prescribed order to the Learning Matrix within each Level. A programme of learning might begin with a context that is relevant to the local area of the school or an idea that students are particularly interested in. This context must relate to at least one Big Idea and may also link to other Big Ideas. This context must be derived from the Key Areas of Learning.
There are four Big Ideas in Health. The nature of this subject as a discipline means aspects of Significant Learning often cross over multiple Big Ideas, and vice versa.
This section outlines the meaning of, and connection between, the Big Ideas and Significant Learning, which together form the Learning Matrix. It then explains each Health Big Idea.
The Health and Physical Education Learning Area, including its whakataukī, inform this subject’s Significant Learning – learning that is critical for ākonga to know, understand, and do in a subject by the end of each Curriculum Level. This covers knowledge, skills, competencies, and attitudes. It also includes level-appropriate contexts students should encounter in their Level 7 learning.
The Learning Area's whakataukī is:
He oranga ngākau, he pikinga waiora
Positive feelings in your heart will raise your sense of self-worth.
The subject's Big Ideas and Significant Learning are collated into a Learning Matrix for Curriculum Level 7 and indicative learning for Level 8. Teachers can use the Learning Matrix as a tool to construct learning programmes that cover all the not-to-be-missed learning in a subject.
There is no prescribed order to the Learning Matrix within each Level. A programme of learning might begin with a context that is relevant to the local area of the school or an idea that students are particularly interested in. This context must relate to at least one Big Idea and may also link to other Big Ideas. This context must be derived from the Key Areas of Learning.
There are four Big Ideas in Health. The nature of this subject as a discipline means aspects of Significant Learning often cross over multiple Big Ideas, and vice versa.
Big Idea Body:
Manaakitanga and whanaungatanga are critical to the hauora of individuals, whānau, and communities in forming and maintaining relationships and strengthening ties within communities.
Ākonga can learn the diverse ways in which cultures create and nurture relationships and understand how mana and identity are connected with a sense of self-worth. Through this understanding, ākonga can develop skills to build relationships, enable mutual care, and foster attitudes and values that support the wellbeing of themselves and others.
Manaakitanga and whanaungatanga are interconnected and contribute to the hauora of individuals, whānau, and communities
Manaakitanga and whanaungatanga are critical to the hauora of individuals, whānau, and communities in forming and maintaining relationships and strengthening ties within communities.
Ākonga can learn the diverse ways in which cultures create and nurture relationships and understand how mana and identity are connected with a sense of self-worth. Through this understanding, ākonga can develop skills to build relationships, enable mutual care, and foster attitudes and values that support the wellbeing of themselves and others.
Big Idea Body:
Personal, interpersonal, and societal aspects influence hauora. The hauora of individuals and communities changes continually as the result of the interaction between a broad and complex range of political, environmental, ethical, economic, social, cultural, and historical factors.
Ākonga can explore the complexities and interconnection of ideas within Māori and Pacific perspectives of wellbeing. They can think about how and where they experience the practice of manaakitanga, or caring for others.
Ākonga can learn to identify the impact of diverse attitudes, values, and perspectives on wellbeing. This learning will help ākonga understand that hauora is not just a matter of personal choice and individual responsibility.
Promoting hauora is not solely the responsibility of the health sector, it is everyone’s responsibility. Knowing, understanding, and being able to apply evidence-based processes such as the Action Competence Learning Process (ACLP), to take critical action, is essential for promoting hauora. Ākonga will learn about the process of individual and collective actions.
Hauora requires consideration of the complex and interconnected nature of personal, interpersonal, and societal aspects
Personal, interpersonal, and societal aspects influence hauora. The hauora of individuals and communities changes continually as the result of the interaction between a broad and complex range of political, environmental, ethical, economic, social, cultural, and historical factors.
Ākonga can explore the complexities and interconnection of ideas within Māori and Pacific perspectives of wellbeing. They can think about how and where they experience the practice of manaakitanga, or caring for others.
Ākonga can learn to identify the impact of diverse attitudes, values, and perspectives on wellbeing. This learning will help ākonga understand that hauora is not just a matter of personal choice and individual responsibility.
Promoting hauora is not solely the responsibility of the health sector, it is everyone’s responsibility. Knowing, understanding, and being able to apply evidence-based processes such as the Action Competence Learning Process (ACLP), to take critical action, is essential for promoting hauora. Ākonga will learn about the process of individual and collective actions.
Big Idea Body:
Fairness, equity, and inclusivity play a role in the hauora of individuals and communities. Hauora and positive wellbeing outcomes for all people and communities are only possible when inequities are addressed and all members of society are treated fairly. Therefore, social justice principles and aims have been integral to the development of diverse approaches to hauora and wellbeing.
Ākonga can understand how social constructs and inequitable distribution of power within relationships can create injustice. People can be affected differently depending on their identity. This understanding can help ākonga learn to recognise sources and instances of injustice, and how hauora, health, and wellbeing are enabled through strategies and actions based on fairness and equity.
Social justice principles of fairness, equity, and inclusivity are central to hauora
Fairness, equity, and inclusivity play a role in the hauora of individuals and communities. Hauora and positive wellbeing outcomes for all people and communities are only possible when inequities are addressed and all members of society are treated fairly. Therefore, social justice principles and aims have been integral to the development of diverse approaches to hauora and wellbeing.
Ākonga can understand how social constructs and inequitable distribution of power within relationships can create injustice. People can be affected differently depending on their identity. This understanding can help ākonga learn to recognise sources and instances of injustice, and how hauora, health, and wellbeing are enabled through strategies and actions based on fairness and equity.
Big Idea Body:
Taking action is critical to enhance the hauora of individuals' and communities. Individual and collective actions could include advocating for changes to school procedures, gender equitable bathrooms in schools, or promoting a school environment that is inclusive of diverse identities and free of bullying. These actions can be part of broader strategies to create, or advocate for, change.
Individual and collective actions are needed to enhance people’s hauora
Taking action is critical to enhance the hauora of individuals' and communities. Individual and collective actions could include advocating for changes to school procedures, gender equitable bathrooms in schools, or promoting a school environment that is inclusive of diverse identities and free of bullying. These actions can be part of broader strategies to create, or advocate for, change.
Key Competencies in Health
Thinking
Students of Health will:
- understand sensitivities around health and wellbeing contexts and perspectives
- think about ethics related to health and wellbeing issues
- learn to identify and analyse unfairness and exclusion in different situations
- think about attitudes and values that influence choices or behaviours related to health or wellbeing
- perceive different experiences of individuals, their whānau, and groups in a situation related to health or wellbeing
- think critically about a health issue that affects wellbeing
- learn to recognise situations of injustice and identify actions that could be taken to make communities and society fairer and more inclusive
- make sense of health and wellbeing through a diversity of lenses and perspectives
- think about ethical dilemmas related to health and wellbeing issues
- gain confidence and strategies to analyse perspectives and messages about mental health, and relationships and sexuality
- understand why Health takes a strengths-based approach that focuses on health promotion and healing.
Using Language, Symbols, and Texts
Students of Health will:
- use health promotion models to explain concepts and behaviours
- use models and frameworks to explain the complexity of health and wellbeing issues where social justice is a consideration
- understand how diverse interpretations and use of language, symbols, and text about health influence the decisions and behaviours of individuals and communities
- develop subject-specific literacy, to help them understand the language and strategies for meaning-making
- learn the vocabulary and symbols of different models of health and wellbeing.
Relating to Others
Students of Health will:
- develop empathy with a diverse range of perspectives and contexts about health and wellbeing
- learn about interpretations of health and wellbeing within their peer group and communities
- experience the practices of diverse cultures.
Managing Self
Students of Health will:
- learn to take personal responsibility for including others and treating them fairly
- establish personal meanings attached to diverse lenses on health and wellbeing.
Participating and Contributing
Students of Health will:
- understand how participation and contribution is integral to Māori and Pacific Island communities' health models
- learn how boundaries can be established, and how safe participation can occur in kōrero, talanoa, and wānanga
- understand how collective actions contribute to social justice at a local, community, or national level
- gain confidence in making collective decisions by participating in kōrero about health or wellbeing issues
- think about strategies for managing conflict and tensions within groups and society.
Key Competencies
This section of The New Zealand Curriculum Online offers specific guidance to school leaders and teachers on integrating the Key Competencies into the daily activities of the school and its Teaching and Learning Programmes.
Thinking
Students of Health will:
- understand sensitivities around health and wellbeing contexts and perspectives
- think about ethics related to health and wellbeing issues
- learn to identify and analyse unfairness and exclusion in different situations
- think about attitudes and values that influence choices or behaviours related to health or wellbeing
- perceive different experiences of individuals, their whānau, and groups in a situation related to health or wellbeing
- think critically about a health issue that affects wellbeing
- learn to recognise situations of injustice and identify actions that could be taken to make communities and society fairer and more inclusive
- make sense of health and wellbeing through a diversity of lenses and perspectives
- think about ethical dilemmas related to health and wellbeing issues
- gain confidence and strategies to analyse perspectives and messages about mental health, and relationships and sexuality
- understand why Health takes a strengths-based approach that focuses on health promotion and healing.
Using Language, Symbols, and Texts
Students of Health will:
- use health promotion models to explain concepts and behaviours
- use models and frameworks to explain the complexity of health and wellbeing issues where social justice is a consideration
- understand how diverse interpretations and use of language, symbols, and text about health influence the decisions and behaviours of individuals and communities
- develop subject-specific literacy, to help them understand the language and strategies for meaning-making
- learn the vocabulary and symbols of different models of health and wellbeing.
Relating to Others
Students of Health will:
- develop empathy with a diverse range of perspectives and contexts about health and wellbeing
- learn about interpretations of health and wellbeing within their peer group and communities
- experience the practices of diverse cultures.
Managing Self
Students of Health will:
- learn to take personal responsibility for including others and treating them fairly
- establish personal meanings attached to diverse lenses on health and wellbeing.
Participating and Contributing
Students of Health will:
- understand how participation and contribution is integral to Māori and Pacific Island communities' health models
- learn how boundaries can be established, and how safe participation can occur in kōrero, talanoa, and wānanga
- understand how collective actions contribute to social justice at a local, community, or national level
- gain confidence in making collective decisions by participating in kōrero about health or wellbeing issues
- think about strategies for managing conflict and tensions within groups and society.
Key Competencies
This section of The New Zealand Curriculum Online offers specific guidance to school leaders and teachers on integrating the Key Competencies into the daily activities of the school and its Teaching and Learning Programmes.
Connections
Health is connected to the subjects of Physical Education, Outdoor Education, and Food and Nutrition within the Health and Physical Education Learning Area of the New Zealand Curriculum. All subjects within this Learning Area have a shared whakataukī and a focus on wellbeing.
Health also has close links with a number of subjects outside of its Learning Area:
- Social Science
- Health and Psychology share an interest in human wellbeing, especially in reference to holistic models of wellbeing such as Te Whare Tapa Whā, Te Wheke, and Fonofale, where physical health and mental health are inextricably linked.
- Health, Social Studies, and Psychology all seek to understand people. All subjects examine people at a wider, societal level, and cover some of the factors that influence the way we live and the decisions we make.
- Science
- Health and Biology share an interest in understanding how the human body works and behaves.
Health is connected to the subjects of Physical Education, Outdoor Education, and Food and Nutrition within the Health and Physical Education Learning Area of the New Zealand Curriculum. All subjects within this Learning Area have a shared whakataukī and a focus on wellbeing.
Health also has close links with a number of subjects outside of its Learning Area:
- Social Science
- Health and Psychology share an interest in human wellbeing, especially in reference to holistic models of wellbeing such as Te Whare Tapa Whā, Te Wheke, and Fonofale, where physical health and mental health are inextricably linked.
- Health, Social Studies, and Psychology all seek to understand people. All subjects examine people at a wider, societal level, and cover some of the factors that influence the way we live and the decisions we make.
- Science
- Health and Biology share an interest in understanding how the human body works and behaves.
Learning Pathway
The knowledge and experiences that ākonga achieve through their engagement with Health can lead to a wide range of pathways.
The health sector, such as:
- care, support, and rehabilitation of people
- diagnosing and treating people
- health promotion and advice
- medical research and testing
- providing technical support and equipment to healthcare professionals.
Community services, such as:
- working with people of different ages, life stages, abilities, and cultures
- counselling and therapy
- helping people with personal development and life decisions
- community support and care.
The science sector, such as:
- analysing and interpreting results and data related to health and wellbeing
- research, investigation, and experiments into an area of health or nutrition science.
Management and consulting, such as:
- the recruitment, training, and development of staff in any health- or wellbeing-related workplace
- health and/or wellbeing marketing and communications.
Education, such as:
- helping children, young people, or adults learn about health and wellbeing
- planning and teaching programmes and classes about health and wellbeing.
Government and law, such as:
- development of policies and regulations related to health and wellbeing
- writing, researching, analysing, and evaluating information about health and wellbeing.
The knowledge and experiences that ākonga achieve through their engagement with Health can lead to a wide range of pathways.
The health sector, such as:
- care, support, and rehabilitation of people
- diagnosing and treating people
- health promotion and advice
- medical research and testing
- providing technical support and equipment to healthcare professionals.
Community services, such as:
- working with people of different ages, life stages, abilities, and cultures
- counselling and therapy
- helping people with personal development and life decisions
- community support and care.
The science sector, such as:
- analysing and interpreting results and data related to health and wellbeing
- research, investigation, and experiments into an area of health or nutrition science.
Management and consulting, such as:
- the recruitment, training, and development of staff in any health- or wellbeing-related workplace
- health and/or wellbeing marketing and communications.
Education, such as:
- helping children, young people, or adults learn about health and wellbeing
- planning and teaching programmes and classes about health and wellbeing.
Government and law, such as:
- development of policies and regulations related to health and wellbeing
- writing, researching, analysing, and evaluating information about health and wellbeing.
Introduction to Sample Course Outlines
The Sample Course Outlines provide a clear overview of learning across one year and link to the Learning and Assessment Matrices. They are indicative only and do not mandate any particular context or approach. Course Outlines should be developed using the appropriate template.
The Sample Course Outlines provide a clear overview of learning across one year and link to the Learning and Assessment Matrices. They are indicative only and do not mandate any particular context or approach. Course Outlines should be developed using the appropriate template.
Assessment Matrix
The Conditions of Assessment is under development.
The Conditions of Assessment is under development.