Teaching & Learning Page

Teaching & Learning in 2026

Meet Our Learning Specialists

We are thrilled to introduce our Learning Specialists, dedicated to enhancing teaching and learning at Surfside Primary School! Together, they bring a wealth of experience, passion, and evidence-based expertise to support our students and staff.

Adrian Chapman and Trina Charleston play pivotal roles in driving whole-school improvement. Here’s a snapshot of their responsibilities:

• Whole-School Professional Learning: Leading professional development sessions to embed evidence-based teaching strategies grounded in the Science of Learning.
• Coaching and Mentoring: Working alongside teachers to refine instructional practices, set goals, and enhance student outcomes through collaborative coaching.
• Specialist Intervention and Support: Designing and delivering targeted interventions for students, ensuring every learner has the opportunity to thrive.
• Building Teacher Capacity: Supporting staff with implementing high-impact teaching strategies, like explicit instruction, across all classrooms.
• Returning to the Classroom: Spending one day a week teaching in classrooms to stay connected to the realities of teaching and model effective practices.

Both specialists are passionate about fostering a culture of growth, collaboration, and curiosity. Whether it’s through tailored coaching, team teaching, or supporting staff with new initiatives, their focus is on making every classroom a place where students love to learn and teachers love to teach.

Stay tuned for updates on their exciting work!

Building Confident, Capable Mathematicians

Welcome back to a new school year! We are looking forward to another exciting year of learning and growth, and we value the strong partnership we share with families in supporting every child’s success—particularly in mathematics.

One of the most powerful ways parents and carers can help is by nurturing positive mathematical dispositions. This simply means encouraging children to see mathematics as something they can do, something that is useful, and something worth persevering with. The messages children hear at home about maths matter—curiosity, effort, and confidence go a long way.

Mathematics in Everyday Life

Mathematics is everywhere, and everyday moments are rich opportunities for learning. You might invite your child to:

• Estimate totals while shopping
• Read timetables or clocks
• Measure ingredients when cooking
• Compare prices, distances, or scores in sport

These real-world connections help children see mathematics as meaningful and practical, not just something that happens in the classroom.

Mathematical Games Matter

Games are another wonderful way to build mathematical thinking. Board games, card games, dice games, and even strategy-based digital games help develop number sense, reasoning, and problem-solving—often without children realising they are “doing maths” at all!

Fact Fluency: Little and Often

Fact fluency remains a key focus across the school. Knowing basic number facts frees up working memory, allowing students to tackle more complex mathematical tasks with confidence.

The most important message around fact fluency is this: practice should be short, sharp, and regular. A few minutes each day is far more effective than long practice sessions.

To support this at home, we encourage families to download and use:

• NumBots – Addition and Subtraction (Foundation to Year 3)
• Times Table Rock Stars – Multiplication and Division (Years 3 to 6)

These platforms are engaging, adaptive, and designed to support quick bursts of high-impact practice.

Thank you for your ongoing support in helping our students develop not just strong mathematical skills, but positive attitudes and confidence in mathematics. Together, we can help every child see themselves as a successful mathematician.

We look forward to a fantastic year ahead!

Adrian Chapman Learning Specialist Surfside Primary School