New English and Mathematics Units
The following information has been provided by the NSW DoE:
English
- Years 3 to 6 classes will continue using the current English units in 2026.
- All Multi Age K to 2 and Multi Age 3 to 6 classes will also continue using the current English units.
- Only stage-based English units will be updated.
Mathematics
- Kindergarten to Year 2 classes will continue using the current Mathematics units in 2026.
- All Multi Age K to 2 and Multi Age 3 to 6 classes will also continue using the current Mathematics units.
- Only stage-based Mathematics units will be updated.
At this stage, the NSW Curriculum team has no plans to update any of the Multi Age units. While there has been some discussion about a Principal’s network potentially developing updates, no further details or confirmed information are available at this time.
Rollout Schedule
The new sample units will be introduced gradually, following the same slow-release approach used during the initial rollout in 2022.
2026
- K to 2 English
- Years 3 to 6 Mathematics
2027
- Years 3 to 6 English
- K to 2 Mathematics
Access to the NSW Doe Sample Units
- Access to the new sample units written by the NSW Department of Education Curriculum team will be restricted to NSW Department of Education staff only.
- Draft units will first be made available on the internal website. After teacher feedback and refinement, the final versions will be published in the Lesson Library.
- All resources created by The Busy Honey Bee that complement and support the delivery of these units will remain available to everyone.
Why Are the Units Changing?
The Maths and English sample units are being rewritten to align with, ‘Our Plan for NSW Public Education’ and the department’s ‘Explicit teaching statement’.
The purpose of these changes is to ensure the new units are:
- Easy to use
- Clear and structured
- Aligned with current, evidence-based teaching practices
English: What Is Changing?
- English Sample Units are being completely rewritten, starting with K to 2.
- The same concepts and outcomes are still taught.
- Lesson delivery has been redesigned to align with the explicit teaching model.
- Units are more direct, more explicit, and simplified while maintaining curriculum intent.
- Component B only is included at this stage.
- Component A will be developed in the future.
- The scope and sequence has changed, including the order of texts.
- Some texts have been removed and new texts introduced.
- Multi Age K to 2 English units are not changing.
Mathematics: What Is Changing?
- Mathematics Sample Units are being completely rewritten, starting with Years 3 to 6.
- Multi Age 3 to 6 Mathematics units are not changing.
- Daily Number Sense activities have been removed from individual lessons and repositioned as supplemental materials.
- Teachers now have flexibility to select and integrate Daily Number Sense activities at times that best suit their program.
- The same concepts and outcomes are still taught.
- Lesson delivery has been redesigned to align with the explicit teaching model, making units more direct, explicit, and simplified.
What Is Available Now?
- The new English K to 2 Sample Scope and Sequence
- Mentor Text Lists for Terms 1, 2, 5, and 6
- Please note: Many mentor texts remain the same. Some texts have been replaced. The order in which texts appear within units is very different.
Have Your Say
If you have the opportunity to provide feedback during the curriculum drafting phase in Term 1 next year, you are strongly encouraged to participate.
Teachers are the ones implementing these units every day. Your professional judgement and classroom experience provide insight that research alone cannot fully capture.
Authentic feedback from practicing teachers is essential.
What Does This Mean for The Busy Honey Bee Resources?
As the Sample Units are being completely rewritten, brand new versions of The Busy Honey Bee resources will be created.
Unfortunately, these cannot be offered as free updates for previous purchases. Each unit is being rebuilt from the ground up with new structure, content, and resources. Providing free updates would not be sustainable.
I truly appreciate your understanding. The time, effort, and resources required to create these comprehensive units are significant, and offering them as free updates would not be sustainable.
Planned Resources:
Teaching Slides: Our most popular resource features all inclusive, engaging, and interactive teaching slides that are ready to use and directly complement the NSW English and Maths Units.
These will be marked as the new update "2026" or "2027" in the product thumbnail, preview, title and product description.
Resources That Are Not Changing
The following resources will remain the same and will not be updated:
- Homework Learning Pods
- Reading Pods
- English and Mathematics Daily Reviews and Daily Warm-Ups
English Activity Packs
These are universal resources and can be used regardless of whether you are teaching the NSW English Sample Units.
While the Sample Units have been revised, the outcomes and concepts remain the same. Only the delivery and teaching sequence have changed. As a result, the concepts explored in these resources remain relevant and effective across programs.
Mathematics and English Assessments
Each unit continues to teach the same outcomes and content. Changes relate only to delivery and lesson sequence.
Assessments still:
- Measure the same learning
- Align with what is taught throughout the unit
In some cases, wording in the grey box at the bottom of assessment questions may not exactly match the wording used in assessment tables within the unit of work. However, all questions still address the relevant outcomes.
The order of units may vary slightly due to scope and sequence updates. This will be reviewed further as new teaching slides are developed.
Mathematics Workbooks and Worksheets
There are currently no immediate plans to update Mathematics workbooks and worksheets.
The mathematical outcomes and concepts remain the same. However, changes to lesson sequence may mean these resources do not always align exactly with the updated order of instruction.
Daily Number Sense activities are now optional in the Sample Units. In existing workbooks, these activities appear in every lesson. If Daily Number Sense is no longer taught explicitly, these sections can be repurposed as extension tasks for early finishers.
New Resources Release Timeline
The release of our new resources will depend entirely on:
- When the Sample Units are released
- The time required to create resources across all stages
- Due to multiple variables, including release dates, workload, and personal circumstances, an exact or estimated release timeline cannot be provided.
