Ms Dzaferovic AP Message

Recently, the state government released its updated Mathematics position for schools and learning:

Consistent with The Education State – Excellence in Every Classroom, one of the key priorities for the Department of Education in 2025 and beyond will be to lift the numeracy attainment levels of every student. The Mathematics Position Statement outlines the strategies that will be used:

1. Implement the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0
2. Ensure students have time to develop mastery
3. Develop common classroom resources
4. Address mathematics anxiety and build confidence 
5. Provide professional learning and support

You may wonder how this change may impact your child/ren at Toorak Primary?  

This change will not impact the teaching practices at TPS, as we are in the third year of implementing evidence-based practices.  At the beginning of 2024, we committed to the implementation of using Prime Maths to support the delivery of maths instruction across all year levels.  The program allows for teachers to feel highly supported in the delivery of mathematics to students and for the students to develop the skills and knowledge in a highly scaffolded way.  The Prime Maths resources alongside our instructional model with the inclusion of retrieval practice, explicit teaching, high opportunities to engage, and responsive teaching techniques have resulted in student experiencing high levels of success and engagement in mathematics because the learning is highly scaffolded and chunked sequentially.

The school is committed to ensuring that every student who attends receives high-quality, evidence-based instruction and that every teacher at the school receives the professional learning they need to deliver such instruction. Alongside this sits our effective:

• coaching programs for all staff in curriculum and lesson delivery
• high levels of accountability through regular formative and summative assessments to track student learning and growth 
• highly structured and effective learning enhancement program
• the work of our Allied Health team, led by Margaret Whitford
• opportunities for extension of students through the VHAP program

Some of these opportunities are made possible through the school resourcing package provided by DET, however we are all aware that this is not enough and we are grateful to the families who contribute to school funds through parent payments to enable us to provide all the extras that amount to improved outcomes, academically, socially and emotionally.

What does it mean moving forward?

We are now in a position to continue embedding and refining best practices. As we ask the students to keep learning and growing, we too, as a school professional learning community, continue to learn and grow through refining our practices, engaging in weekly professional learning, and connecting with outside professionals.  This week we have facilitated teams of teaching staff to attend 2 professional learning sessions;

1. Becoming a Better Maths Teacher: Craig Barton with Ollie Lovell
2. How Learning Happens and How Teaching Happens: Dr Carl Hendrick

We are very fortunate to have a highly dedicated staff team and a school community that works in unison for the best outcomes for all. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your ongoing support.

Have a wonderful term break!