At Mount Waverley Primary School, we have a whole school approach to the development and delivery of a comprehensive Numeracy program designed to foster and promote a love for Mathematics, develop numeracy skills, understandings and strategies of all our students. We believe in and value a positive Mathematical Mindset for all our students and teachers and actively preach and practise this mindset in our daily program.

We aim to equip students with the mathematical concepts, attitudes and strategies necessary for their school life and beyond. MWPS students explore real world contexts and appreciate that Mathematics is an essential and relevant part of life. The areas covered are based on the following Maths Dimensions as identified in the Victorian Curriculum Maths Domain: Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry and Statistics and Probability. These three areas are formally reported on twice a year in accordance with department (DET) guidelines.

All classes participate in numeracy for at least an hour every day.

Our daily Mathematics workshops follows the ‘whole-part-whole’ strategy. This approach includes a warm up to promote mathematical vocabulary and develop fluency and reasoning through verbal discussions such as Number Talks, Thinking Routines etc. This is then followed by explicit teaching of concepts and understandings. Students then have opportunities to apply their knowledge to problem solving situations either individually or in collaborative groups. Throughout the workshop, students take part in focussed teaching groups, complete independent, partner or group work and are involved in roving conferences with their teacher. Each workshop session is concluded with an opportunity to reflect on learning and to share successful strategies.

Through the provision of a differentiated curriculum, students work according to their abilities and specific learning needs to understand the mathematical concepts required to effectively solve real life and open-ended problems through hands on tasks and investigations. Students also have opportunities to extend their learning by challenging themselves on the curriculum continuum and this is supported by all teachers within each classroom.

Manipulatives allow students to connect mathematical ideas to physical objects thus leading to a deeper understanding. At Mount Waverley Primary School, teachers and students have access to a wide range of high-quality equipment which are used regularly to support learning.

Technology plays a significant role in our Mathematics curriculum. iPads, laptops and interactive TV screens are used regularly as tools to support Mathematics learning. To cater for the varying needs of our students Foundation – Year 3 students consolidate their classroom learning using the online program Matific, while the Year 4-6 students use Mathspace.

Teachers reflect on their practice through regular meetings with their Professional Learning Team colleagues and continue on-going professional development to enhance a high level of knowledge in order to best cater for all students.

As a school, we continually update our teaching practice in response to student data and in line with the latest research about best practice in Maths. This helps us build consistency across the school whilst ensuring we cater for each student's individual learning needs.

Please visit our Maths website to learn more and keep updated.