PR1ME Maths

A clear pathway to success in maths!

Here at Whenuapai we use the PR1ME maths programme. This is a programme built on clear, well-structured progressions mapping out a pathway through Year 1-8 based on practices used by top performing countries around the world.

In 2019 we inquired into ways we could improve student achievement in maths. PR1ME was supported by strong academic data worldwide and schools we contacted who were using the programme loved it. After engaging with experts to familiarise our staff with PR1ME, we trialled it in 2020. Our student achievement data and community feedback supports the success of the programme, despite a COVID interrupted year.

The Whenuapai Pathway:

The PR1ME programme runs from Year 1-8. Students begin with a lot of hands-on experiences using materials to support their understanding. Considerable time is dedicated to modeling and explaining new concepts, and consistent repetition is used to reinforce this knowledge. Students work in small groups at their level and learning is based on their next learning goals. As Whenuapai students progress towards the senior school, a greater emphasis is placed on self-management and learner agency. While students also receive regular explicit teaching in small groups, in the classroom we would expect to see students working through their practice books and assessing their own progress using online tools independently, discussing their goals and next steps. Teachers utilise online tools and games to reinforce learning and assessment for learning strategies to check understanding.

How you can help at home:

Student prime books are designed to be used in school only therefore, we do not send them home. This is due to the fact that they directly reflect lessons being taught in class and are designed as follow up to these in the moment. You can support your child’s learning at home by practising basic facts recall and number knowledge, as well as asking your teacher for follow up tasks that relate to the in class learning to help accelerate their progress. 

We ask that at home you focus on the following: 

• Year 0-2: Counting up to 100 and backwards, Adding and subtracting within 100
• Year 3-4: Adding and subtracting all numbers, and rote learning of times tables up to 10
• Year 5-8: Word problems using adding, subtracting, division and multiplication. All times tables should be mastered by the end of year 5 to support fractions, division and problem solving. 

Professional Development and HERO:

Teachers have worked with outside experts on specific PR1ME language to support and establish effective programmes within the classroom. These programmes also include access to interactive workbooks and course books to explicitly teach all content in student books. From here, PR1ME learning goals are accessible through HERO with past, present and future achievements. HERO goals will reflect students’ learning and where they are at the moment. At Whenuapai School, we continue to develop our understanding and knowledge of PR1ME Maths to enhance and reflect on our teaching, to better support our tamariki.