Curriulum Report

Key goals across the Curriculum

• Building teacher capacity to deeply understand key content and curriculum
• Building teacher capacity to analyse student work and respond to data in planning 

Numeracy

The Epping Views Primary School Instructional Model for Numeracy is built around open rich tasks that engage students in the Four Mathematical Proficiencies and provide every student with the opportunity to productively struggle. Student explanations and representations drive lessons and planning to ensure a deep conceptual understanding of key ideas. This model supports students to become confident, flexible and creative mathematicians. 

We are excited to continue our work with MAV this school year to support us with the successful implementation of this model schoolwide. Throughout the beginning of the year Sophie and the Curriculum Leaders have been analysing staff and student survey results, observing math planning and instruction to identify where we are at with the implementation of the EVPS Instructional Model. 

This year MAV will work with Curriculum Leaders around planning standards-aligned units of work grounded in Key Ideas, with a particular focus on using student work to inform the Anticipation phase.  This will allow Curriculum Leaders to support teams in both the pre-planning and planning process in a targeted way to build teacher confidence and improve student outcomes. 

Literacy 

At Epping Views we are committed to setting up the classroom environment to promote a love of reading. This commitment involves setting up a mini library in EVERY classroom in the school. Of course, we still have the junior and senior whole school libraries for students to borrow books from. Teachers have been collaborating to learn more about the importance of the classroom library and ensuring that there’s a variety of books available to students in the classroom. We will also be adding to our collections of books and shelving in classes to improve our libraries even more. 

Writing Professional Learning 

Through data analysis and staff and student voice, we identified a need to increase our focus on the teaching of Writing. We have engaged the expertise of Narissa Leung, a past Principal and literacy consultant. We had our first session last Monday where teachers became authors and put themselves in the shoes of their students by seeing how it feels to be presented with a blank page and asked to write. We analysed student writing samples and explored the strategies that can be used to help students to generate ideas and improve their writing. 

We will continue this work throughout the year. 

● Session 1: Introduction to the traits and focus on the Ideas trait - Monday February 27th ● Session 2: Word choice and voice traits - Monday May 8th

 ● Session 3: Organisation and sentence fluency traits - Monday August 14th 

Prep Oral  Language Investigations 

A passionate team of prep teachers and leaders have worked together with the support of Renee Zilgic (EVK Kinder Manager) to implement a new Investigations approach into the Prep area. The purpose of the Oral Language Investigations is to increase engagement and strengthen the pathway and transition from kindergarten to primary school. 

Throughout the investigations, the students engage deeply to gain the skills and understanding that Literacy, Numeracy and the Humanities are meaningful and useful parts of everyday life. Students explore, create, make meaning, connections and memories and also engage in authentic opportunities to learn personal and social skills, conflict resolution, problem solving, decision making and develop their independence. 

Each week, students are involved in Oral Language Investigations linked to planned learning intentions across the curriculum and the interests and current investigations of the students. We take great pride in our well planned and resourced learning environment that aims to inspire, motivate, grow and create a sense of wanting to investigate and explore to enhance play and learning.

Tutor Learning Initiative (TLI) 

Our Tutor Program is up and running for 2023, serving a total of 61 students. This year we have been able to include Literacy groups for students at need, along with an additional Numeracy group per year level for Years 3-6. These Numeracy students have been selected based on their Number Achievement Standard data over the past two years. A big highlight from our initial benchmark testing for Literacy revealed that many students who qualified for tutoring last year have shown significant growth and no longer qualify for the program. Given this we are very excited for the students able to participate this year. 

Victorian High Ability Program (VHAP) 

This term we have 6 students (from Year 5 and 6) participating in the English or Maths High Ability Program who have been selected based on their Year 3 or Year 5 NAPLAN results, combined with their progress against the Victorian Curriculum. The weekly virtual lessons occur during the school day and are taught by Virtual School Victoria teachers.. In the English course, the students explore links between reality and fiction by observing the world around them and their journeys into fictional worlds. The program empowers students through cultivating confidence and a willingness to take academic risks. In the Maths course, students embrace the “why” of maths, not just the “what”. Students and teachers dive into the philosophical implications of mathematical topics. Both programs promote development of key skills such as teamwork, collaboration and resilience.The program provides a safe space for high-ability students to stretch their wings, encounter change and challenge, and confront fears around making mistakes. We are looking to expand this program by submitting supplementary student learning data to the Department to enable more students to participate.

Rachel Griffiths & Sophie Nightingale

Assistant Principals'