Numeracy

Numeracy at Shepparton East Primary School

At Shepparton East Primary School, we believe that strong numeracy skills are essential for students to understand and engage with the world around them. Numeracy is more than just knowing how to calculate — it’s about developing confidence, curiosity and problem-solving skills to use mathematics in meaningful, real-life situations.

Our Numeracy program helps students:

• Recognise and understand how mathematics is used in everyday life.
• Apply mathematical thinking to solve problems and make decisions.
• Build the knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes needed to use mathematics purposefully and effectively.

Our Curriculum

The teaching of Mathematics at Shepparton East follows the Victorian Curriculum 2.0, with a strong focus on the key strands of:

• Number
• Algebra
• Measurement
• Space
• Statistics
• Probability

Our teachers plan and deliver lessons that promote deep understanding across all strands, using evidence-based strategies and a balance of explicit teaching, guided practice, and student inquiry.

Teaching and Learning

We believe that every student can achieve success in mathematics when supported by high-quality, engaging teaching. Our staff use High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS) to maximise learning and ensure that every student is appropriately challenged and supported.

Students participate in five hours of Numeracy each week, with each session following the Numeracy Hour model. This structure includes:

1. Fluency practice — short, engaging activities that build automaticity and confidence with key number skills.
2. A mini-lesson — explicit teaching where the teacher models strategies and concepts.
3. Independent or small group learning — students explore mathematical ideas at their own level of understanding, applying strategies and solving problems.
4. A reflection and debrief — students share their learning, discuss strategies, and make connections to prior knowledge.

Learning Intentions and Success Criteria are shared in every lesson so that students understand the focus of their learning and can monitor their own progress.

Number Fluency and Problem Solving

At Shepparton East Primary School, we have a consistent, whole-school approach to developing number fluency from Foundation to Year 6.
Daily fluency sessions focus on building automatic recall of key number facts and mental computation strategies, giving students the foundation required for deeper mathematical thinking.

This structured fluency program is complemented by rich problem-solving tasks that encourage reasoning, creativity and flexible thinking. Students are challenged to apply mathematical skills in authentic, meaningful contexts, developing both confidence with core number concepts and the ability to approach complex problems with persistence and insight.

Together, these approaches help our students become confident, capable and flexible mathematical thinkers.

Real-World Mathematics

We encourage students to make connections between their learning and the real world. By exploring mathematics through authentic, hands-on tasks, students see how maths helps them make sense of everyday life — from measuring and budgeting to recognising patterns and analysing data.

Assessment and Growth

Ongoing assessment is an important part of our Numeracy program. Teachers use a range of tools, including Essential Assessment and PAT-M, to track student progress, identify learning needs, and plan next steps. Students are actively involved in reflecting on their growth and setting goals for improvement.

Building Mathematical Proficiency

Our approach is designed to develop the four key mathematical proficiencies outlined in the Victorian Curriculum 2.0:

• Understanding — making connections between concepts and representations.
• Fluency — carrying out procedures efficiently and accurately.
• Problem-Solving — applying mathematics to unfamiliar contexts.
• Reasoning — explaining and justifying solutions and thinking processes.

At Shepparton East Primary School, we aim to nurture confident, capable mathematicians who can think flexibly, reason logically, and approach challenges with persistence and curiosity.