Mathematics

Mathematics provides students with access to important mathematical ideas, knowledge and skills that they will draw on in their personal and work lives. The curriculum also provides students, as life-long learners, with the basis on which further study and research in mathematics and applications in many other fields are built. ( From Rationale and Aims of the Victorian Curriculum Mathematics.)

Students have the opportunity over the course of each year to develop concepts and skills in the three key areas of mathematics: Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, Statistics and Probability. The learning proficiencies of Understanding, Fluency, Problem Solving and Reasoning are applied across all three strands of the curriculum.

Mathematics classes happen 4 - 5 times per week, where children explore big ideas in mathematics and then apply them in everyday situations. The development of these big ideas in mathematics requires children to be able to represent and model their thinking. Concrete materials and manipulatives are used to help them develop this.

Teachers use a range of student groupings such as whole class, small groups and independent activities in order to respond to the range of skills and needs within the group of learners.