At Gaayip-Yagila Primary School, we believe that every student can be successful in mathematics when provided with explicit teaching, clear learning goals, and purposeful opportunities for practice and application. Our mathematics program is based on the Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0, which outlines the knowledge, skills, and understandings students need to become confident and capable mathematical thinkers.

Our approach is grounded in the science of learning and the belief that students do not intuitively acquire mathematical understanding - they must be taught explicitly. Lessons follow the Gaayip-Yagila Instructional Model, which ensures consistency and high-quality teaching across all classrooms. Each lesson includes:

• Fluency practice to strengthen automatic recall of number facts and foundational skills
• Activation of prior knowledge to connect new learning with existing understanding
• Concept development through clear, explicit teaching of new ideas
• Skill development with guided practice and feedback
• Independent practice where students apply what they have learned with increasing confidence and accuracy

In addition to daily explicit instruction, students participate in application lessons twice per week, where they use previously taught skills in real-life and problem-solving contexts. These sessions encourage critical thinking, reasoning, and reflection, helping students make meaningful connections between mathematical ideas and everyday experiences.

Home learning tasks are carefully aligned to the specific concepts taught in class, allowing students to practise and consolidate skills in multiple contexts. Teachers use data and ongoing assessment to target each student’s point of need, ensuring both support and challenge are provided.

Through this combination of explicit teaching and structured application, our students develop strong conceptual understanding, fluency, problem-solving ability, and reasoning skills - the four proficiencies of the Victorian Mathematics Curriculum.