Mathematics at Footscray West Primary School

At Footscray West Primary School, our approach to teaching Mathematics is structured, consistent and designed to build confident, capable learners through clear routines and intentional practice. Each lesson follows a comprehensive model that balances fluency, conceptual understanding and student reflection.

Daily Review 

Our Mathematics lessons begin with a fast-paced, no-teaching review session to activate prior knowledge and strengthen fluency. Using whiteboards, markers and erasers, students revisit a wide range of previously taught content. This includes:

• Answering quick questions to build automaticity

• Revising familiar concepts

• Engaging with a wide selection of topics, systematically revisited for long-term retention

This segment is designed for maximum exposure and retrieval practice, helping students connect past learning with new ideas. The slides have inbuilt challenge questions for students who are ready for the next step in their learning. 

Explicit Teaching 

Using common visual slides across classrooms, teachers explicitly model new concepts and skills, guided by clear learning intentions and vocabulary unpacking.

• I Do – The teacher connects the learning to prior knowledge, explains the relevance, and models the strategy using consistent visuals and language.
• We Do – Students practise alongside the teacher using whiteboards, manipulatives and chants. Teachers use this time to scan the room for emerging misconceptions.
• You Do – Students apply their learning independently while teachers continue to monitor and respond to minor errors in real time.
  
  

Practice 

Students move into independent or collaborative practice with targeted tasks:

• Practising new concepts in books or using concrete materials
• A small teaching group runs during this time, allowing the teacher to provide focused support based on formative assessment
• Students receive differentiated feedback and extension opportunities as needed

This part of the lesson encourages both independence and precision, with opportunities for deeper exploration of the concept.

Lesson Wrap-Up

Each lesson concludes with a short reflection where students:

• Share what they found successful or challenging
• Celebrate progress with the teacher and peers

This final moment consolidates learning and builds confidence by recognising student effort and achievement.

The Science Behind Daily Review:

Our Daily Review program is built on three key research principles:

1. Spaced practice: 

Reviewing concepts over time with structured intervals in between learning periods strengthens memory and retrieval, compared to cramming information over a short period.

2. Interleaved practice: 

Exposing students to a range of concepts and different types of problems helps them develop broader problem-solving abilities and enhances the retrieval of information.

3. Retrieval practice:

Actively recalling information, rather than simply re-reading it, promotes deeper understanding and strengthens neural connections.

Problem Solving

A set number of lessons are devoted to problem solving each term. In these lessons,  students have an opportunity to explore and apply skills in a variety of ways. There is a focus on demonstrating perseverance and a growth mindset as students experience productive struggle.