Abstract This article explores recent addition of Years 7-10 as a distinct learning pathway within The New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007a) in relation to middle years' historical struggle for recognition. It suggests that this addition presents educationalists with an opportunity to address anew declining engagement of young adolescents by re-envisioning an engaging curriculum for middle years. A brief theoretical framework is offered for understanding importance of fit between learner and schooling. Based on this framework, three essential characteristics of such a curriculum are proposed: relevance, negotiation, and integration. Introduction New Zealand's strong emphasis on quality education has earned country a global reputation for innovation and effectiveness in schooling. This reputation is largely well deserved. New Zealand schools rank consistently high when compared to other countries. Out of 30 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, for example, New Zealand students typically perform within top four in mathematics, science, and reading (Ministry of Education, 2008). At same time, like many other countries, New Zealand struggles to promote these strong academic outcomes for all of its students. Educationalists grapple with country's tail (Education and Science Committee, 2008, p. 5), or disproportionately wide spread of achievement within a school between top and bottom students, combined with a comparatively large number of low achievers. The academic achievement of New Zealand's Maori population, in particular, continues to lag behind that of New Zealand European students: 20 percent of Maori students leave school before their 16th birthday, more than three times rate for non-Maori learners (Education and Science Committee, 2008, p. 20). Both schooling success and a continued effort for further improvement are reflected in careful attention to educational policy. Many of youngest learners benefit from 20 Hours Free Early Childhood Education policy; at other end of spectrum, senior secondary students are target of new policy initiative, Schools Plus, aimed at raising compulsory schooling age from 16 to 18. While these two policies are representative of New Zealand policy makers' long history of attention to education, one schooling group has remained largely invisible in policy context: those in middle. The middle of schooling in New Zealand have been referred to as the forgotten years (Education Review Office, 2003) and as a black box (Dinham & Rowe, 2007). New Zealand's own Educational Review Office (2001) has noted that government policies most often focus on early and senior secondary school, and argued that middle are an equally important stage. Recently, however, middle in New Zealand gained a foothold when revised New Zealand curriculum for first time characterised Years 7-10 as one of five learning pathways. With this recognition comes an opportunity to reconsider what constitutes appropriate and engaging curriculum for young adolescents. Doing so is a vital step in ensuring that attention to middle schooling translates into educational benefits for young adolescents. We begin this article by examining Years 7-10 student-outcome data, which calls for renewed attention to curriculum for this age group. We next provide a theoretical framework for considering middle-years learner in relation to schooling. Based on this framework, we propose three essential characteristics of an engaging middle-years curriculum: relevance, negotiation, and integration. Student outcomes in middle Student achievement The middle are no exception to other of schooling with regard to New Zealand's tail. …