Burst and Bubbles 2025

My Inquiry is a whole school approach to Numeracy.

Over the years, I’ve come to see that numeracy isn’t just about numbers—it’s about thinking. It’s about giving our students the confidence to solve problems, make sense of the world, and believe in their own ability to succeed. And yet, many of our learners are still falling below national standards. With the new NCEA Numeracy Co-requisite, we all know—this is not just a maths issue. It’s a school-wide one. 

That’s why this year, I’ve been developing a whole-school approach to improving numeracy—one that brings every teacher into the conversation. The idea is simple: help all subject teachers see where numeracy lives in their own learning area, give them the tools to strengthen it, and make sure none of it adds unnecessary workload..

Through a focus group of Social Studies, Science, and Technology teachers, we’ve been collaborating, sharing ideas, and building a network of support. I’ve also been applying these strategies in my own classroom—so that I’m not just leading this work, but living it. Thank you, Dr Janni.

We introduced small but meaningful changes:

 – CAA team formed to oversee the progress.
– short “10-minute Do Nows” in every subject to reinforce daily numeracy practice, Graphics organiser, and think-aloud strategy.
– after-school, holiday tutorials, booster sessions.
– ViTal sheets to track progress,
– Education Perfect activities, workspace, and videos to rewind their learning.

Collaboration was the key—I created a shared folder for resources, attended MOE and AMA workshops, connected with cluster groups, and shared our learning through staff PLDs and the Kahui Aho blog.

I have seen a positive shift in Teacher awareness, students' confidence, the number of students who sat the exam, and their well-being. And the positive Correlation between study classes and results.

The data supports this too: 64 students passed Numeracy this year, and Year 9 and 10 results have doubled compared to last year. PAT results made a positive impact.

My own year 10 class-So far, five passed Numeracy, and PAT shows ten made a positive shift, and seven students reached PAT 5 or more, with 2 more to assess.

Of course, it’s not without challenges—teaching numeracy while meeting other deadlines is never easy—but the progress proves that collaboration works.

I truly believe that when we, as teachers, come together—sharing data, strategies, and success—we don’t just build numeracy. We build confidence, capability, and opportunity for every learner.

Ngā mihi nui.

My Inquiry question 9

 

Term3 reflection

 My class, 10PDv - My learners have completed the Numeracy exam with 100% attendance (15 out of 15 students present), and we are currently awaiting the results. During this period, we also completed the Statistics and Probability units, and have now started Algebra, which we plan to complete during Term 4. The learners’ overall progress during Term 3 was very good, and the Vital sheet is attached for reference.

Here is the student voice: My learners did well in the Numeracy exam and awaiting for the results.

Staff PLD

 Mr. Mansell and I had the privilege of sharing my Inquiry at the Tamaki College staff PLD session.

Here is the PPT:

Open day at Tamaki College

 It is Open Day at Tamaki College today.

Here are the highlights of the maths department.

My Inquiry question - 8

 

My learners are nearing the examinations(Year 10 week 8 & Year 11 week 9), and the time has come to aim for the prize. 

This is all about the transition from teacher authority to student authority. 

My tweaks are study classes, a smart study plan using Workspace, Annotated exemplars, Video lessons, and focusing on Form, use, and explain questions to identify learners' weaknesses.

Here is the detail of my intervention:

Term 3 Plan for my own class and Focus group

 My own class: During term 3, the focus is on Statistics and preparing for CAA September exam.

Here is the plan for Term 1: Statistics/CAA exam

Here is the plan for Term 1: Geometry/ Trigonometry:

• Vocab and Comprehension -Vocab is introduced in every lesson..

• 10 to 15 minutes Do Now 10 to 15 Minutes Statistics.

• PEE structure framework.

• Workspace for Statistics and Numeracy.

• Video Lessons- Cobbett Maths and Numeracy videos.

• Tuesday after-school classes- working on Numeracy practice tests provides extra support.

• Topic test by the end of the test- ensures readiness for the next step.

• Numeracy homework on Education is perfect for Personalised learning- tailored for each student's levels and needs,

• Weekly conversation with Whānau/Well-being checks in schools, strengthening school-home connections.

• Collaboration with Social Studies and Science with Do Nows to reinforce Numeracy in the real world.

• Numeracy's past paper questions are on the NZQA website and in the Numeracy practice book.

• Weeks 4 to 8: Numeracy Intensive to prepare for the September exam.

• Numeracy questions are separated by Form, solve, and explain examples to apply differentiated teaching.

My Focus: My focus with Do Nows for term3 and but for technology, is continued from Term1

Do Nows, as this subject is optional.

Term3 Plan for CAA(US32406)

  There are two CAAs in a year. One in May and the other in September. This term, our focus is on the September exam, as the learners have completed the first round. The second round will include year 11s who missed the first round, year 10s, and one group of year 9 students ( more than PAT 5). Due to the number of students, our school has decided to conduct activities over Week 8 and Week 9. 

Year 9 and Year 10 will participate in Week 8, while Year 11 will participate in Week 9.

Resources and support: I have been supporting all teachers(cross-curricular support) by providing weekly numeracy starters( Do nows) activities along with a ViTal sheet( tracking sheet) to track progress. These allow teachers to begin lessons with an engaging numeracy problem. This week, resources will be provided for only 7 weeks as the exam will start in week 8. Link

 

My Inquiry question - 7

 

(1) 

To support a detailed inquiry into my current teaching practice, I have engaged in a multifaceted approach that includes self-observation, collaboration with literacy specialists, analysis of my workspace and class site, student voice, and whānau connections. I have gained formative insights into my instructional clarity, pacing, and how I respond to student needs in real time. Working alongside literacy specialists has enabled me to align my practice with evidence-based strategies and critically examine areas such as guided reading, vocabulary instruction, and scaffolding techniques. I have also conducted a workspace and class site analysis to evaluate how effectively the physical and digital environments support literacy learning and student independence. Gathering student voice through surveys and informal conferences has highlighted both strengths in engagement and areas where students seek more support or challenge. Maintaining strong whānau connections has offered additional context around student progress and motivation, ensuring that my inquiry remains culturally responsive and learner-focused. Attending regular literacy meetings has deepened my understanding of current best practice and provided opportunities to test and refine hypotheses drawn from the literature. Collectively, these tools have provided both formative and baseline data to inform shifts in my teaching, and will serve as key evidence when evaluating the impact of my inquiry at the end of the year.

(2) Qualitative & Quantitative data- Reflection (1) & Reflection (2)

(3) Next steps-To support students in building consistent learning routines and reinforcing key skills, I will continue to implement Do Now activities across all subjects and study classes through to the Numeracy exam in September

Term2 reflection

 My class, 10PDv - My learners have completed both assessments: Geometry and Pythagoras/Trigonometry. The Measurement and Geometry assessment results are now available, and the Pythagoras/ trigonometry section will be tested next term. There has been a significant improvement in their academic performance, well-being, work ethic in class, and attendance, largely due to the positive influence of the Do Nows and study classes.

Here are the " Do Now" VitaL sheet results:

" Do Nows "

As seen in the Geometry/Measurement summary statistics, there is a noticeable positive shift, indicating that the "Do Now" activities are having a significant impact on assessment performance, especially as their questions and topics are closely aligned.

Here is the student's voice:

As we planned, the Numeracy study class for the whole cohort of Year 10 had an attendance of around 30 students and has been very successful. We will be continuing it next term as well. 

My focus group and cross-curricular subject teachers completed their Do Nows, which made an impact on our students' achievement, too. The science department successfully completed the ViTaL sheet there I gave rewards to the Science Department.

Numeracy Exam in May: Year 11s and one group of Year 12/13 have completed their Numeracy exam in May and awaining for the results. The second round of the exam will be held in May.

Learn, Create, Share PLD

 I had the privilege of participating in the Learn Create Share programme during the Manaiakalani PLD, with a focus on Tackling Numeracy in CAA. The session explored strategies for enhancing vocabulary acquisition and student engagement through digital tools.

A key part of the experience involved collaborative work using the Miro online board and the Graphics Organiser, which helped structure our thinking and planning. These tools proved valuable in supporting learners' understanding and expression of mathematical concepts.

I had the opportunity to collaborate with Mr. Mansell throughout the session. Our discussions helped deepen my understanding of how to integrate these strategies effectively in the classroom to boost both comprehension and confidence in numeracy.

Here is my part of the  presentation:

My Hunch

Our last PLG, we were asked to formulate a hypothesis or hunch around our inquiry. We were required to generate a minimum of three hunches based on what we had learnt so far about our students and their learning environment.

Here is my Hunch:

If I provide daily practice with Do Now questions, then students' confidence and accuracy in numeracy exams will improve.

If I teach and model test-taking strategies (like checking work or estimating), then students will feel more prepared and score higher on the numeracy exam.

If I continue to incorporate regular Do Nows across all subjects, then students will show greater progress in key numeracy areas.

Term 2 Plan for my own class and Focus group

 My own class: During term 2, the focus is Geometry and Trigonometry.

Here is the plan for Term 1: Geometry/ Trigonometry:

• Vocab and Comprehension -Vocab is introduced in every lesson/ Miro interactive board.

• Assessment-Driven learning: PAT results, pre-tests, practice tests, and ViTaL sheet to track progress.

• 10 to 15 minutes Do Now Daily( using a Graphic organizer) on Geometry- helps activate prior knowledge and scaffold learning.

• KWL strategy for Trigonometry.

• Peer teaching and confidence building- Students work in teams, using the whiteboard to solve and explain problems together and build mathematical confidence.

• Workspace for Geometry with structured lessons. Link

• Video Lessons- Short, engaging lessons on Cobbett Maths and Transum Maths to reinforce learning.

• Digital Quizlet flashcards to build familiarity with Numeracy terminology and encourage independent learning.

• Wednesday after-school classes- working on Numeracy practice tests provides extra support.

• Topic test by the end of the test- ensures readiness for the next step.

• Numeracy homework on Education is perfect for Personalised learning- tailored for each student's levels and needs,

• Weekly conversation with Whanau/Well-being checks inns, strengthen school-home connection.

• Collaboration with Social Studies and Science with Do Nows to reinforce Numeracy in real world.

• Numeracy's past paper questions are on the NZQA website and in the Numeracy practice book.

My Focus: My focus with Do Nows for term2 and but for technology, is continued from Term1

Do Nows, as this subject is optional.

Term2 Plan for CAA(US32406)

 There are two CAAs in a year. One in May and the other in September. Year 11 learners and selected year 12/13 will sit in May. We are running Numeracy prep on Tuesdays during Period 3 & 4 and continuing study class on Wednesday after school.

Resources and support: I have been supporting all teachers(cross-curricular support) by providing weekly numeracy starters( Do nows) activities along with a ViTal sheet( tracking sheet) to track progress. These allow teachers to begin lessons with an engaging numeracy problem. Link

Holiday study class

 Year 11 students will be sitting the Numeracy exam in May (Week 5). To support them, we ran holiday classes during the first week for Year 11s, as well as a few Year 12 and 13 students who have enrolled to sit the exam. Learners focused on past papers from 2011 and 2012 (Term 2 and Term 3 papers). Attendance was around 30 students for the first two days, dropping to around 20 later in the week due to weather warnings. 

My Inquiry question 5-6

 

 My inquiry is an across-school focus on numeracy by providing 10 to 15 minutes" Do Nows.

(1) Plan term by term, providing Do Nows term by term(Plan for own class, Focus group, and all subject teachers).

(2) Term-by-term reflection to track their progress. Term1.

(3) Numeracy study class is on Wednesdays, and the holiday class is across the Maths department.

(4) Collaborating with all the departments and attending PLD with Ministry of Education facilitators.

(5) Collaborating with Mark Milford and Dr. Janni.

(6) My own class- Organise workspace, video lessons, practice tests, and past papers.

(7) Students' voice- to promote self-directed learners.

(8) Knowing the learners ' Ethnicity breakdown increases cultural awareness, sensitivity, and encourages empathy and understanding of the learners. link1 & link2

(9) PAT results - identify the ability level and tell which students are ready for the Numeracy exam as well as differentiated teaching.

(10) Literacy strategy- Graphic organiser & Vocabulary lict.

Visual Art Department PLD

We really enjoyed the Art Department’s session on Rhythm and Pattern, led by Ms. Ferguson. Art and Music are making a huge impact on the Numeracy exam. Both subjects have been supporting learning through "Do Now" activities.

Term1 reflection for 10PDv

My class  10PDv -My learners have completed both assessments: Number and Measurement. The Number assessment results are available, and Measurement is currently being marked. There has been a significant improvement in their academic performance, well-being, work ethic in class, and attendance, largely due to the positive influence of the Do Nows and study classes. 

Do Now results

  

10PDv -NUMBER RESULTS

As I mentioned, there has been a positive shift in the results, and I plan to continue the study class, as it is having a powerful impact in all areas, including whānau engagement.

Here is the student voice of 10PDv;

As we planned, the Numeracy study class for the whole cohort of Year 10 had an attendance of around 30 students and has been very successful. We will be continuing it next term as well. In the meantime, we are also going to run a Numeracy study class for the Year 11s during the holiday study period, as they will be sitting their exams in May. Here are the highlights:

year10 Studyclass

Year10 studyclass

Term 1 plan for my own class( 10PDv)

 Working alongside all subject teachers, I take on the role of both researcher and practitioner, truly "walking the talk." I first trial strategies within my class to explore their depth and effectiveness before sharing them more widely. This approach not only strengthens authenticity but also builds trust with the teachers I collaborate with. By experiencing the process firsthand, I am better able to understand the challenges and successes, making my support more practical, genuine, and impactful across subjects.

Here is the year Planner for yr10:

Here is the plan for Term 1: Numer/ Measurement.

• Comprehension -Vocab introduced in every lesson.

• PAT results, Pre tests and practice tests.

• 10 to 15 minutes Do Now Daily( using Graphic organier) on Number and Measurement and ViTaL sheet to track their progress.

• Peer teaching- I made them into groups and worked on the whiteboard to build confidence.

• Workspace for Number, Measurement and Numeracy, and Google Calendar.

• Video Lessons- Short videos.Cobbett Maths and Transum Maths for quick practice.

• Google Quizlet flashcards to familiarize yourself with keywords.

• PEE Structure to write the word problem.

• Wednesday after-school classes- working on Numeracy practice tests.

• Geoebra for 3D shapes and Nets.

• Topic test by end of the test..

• Numeracy homework on Education perfect.

• Weekly conversation with Whanau/ Well being check inns.

• Working with Literacy specialist Mark and Dr Janni.

• Collaboration with Social Studies and Science with Do Nows.

• Numeracy's past paper questions are on the NZQA website and in the Numeracy practice book.

Study class highlights