Tools/Measures/Approaches

To gain a more detailed and accurate profile of Year 8 students’ learning during their transition from Primary to Secondary, particularly in relation to the refreshed New Zealand Maths Curriculum, I will use a combination of diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments. These tools will help identify gaps in understanding, track progress, and ensure that students develop the necessary skills and confidence for secondary-level mathematics.

Firstly, diagnostic assessments at the start of the year will establish a baseline understanding of students’ mathematical knowledge and skills. These assessments will focus on key areas of the refreshed curriculum, such as number sense, algebraic thinking, and problem-solving strategies. By analyzing the results, I can identify common misconceptions and tailor my teaching to address specific learning needs. This approach is crucial because it ensures that instruction is responsive and personalized, reducing the risk of students feeling overwhelmed in the transition.

Throughout the year, I will implement formative assessment strategies, including regular low-stakes quizzes, open-ended problem-solving tasks, and student self-assessments. These tools will provide ongoing insights into students' understanding and allow for timely interventions. Peer assessments and collaborative learning tasks will also be used to encourage discussion and reinforce conceptual understanding. Formative assessment is essential because it promotes a growth mindset, allowing students to see learning as an evolving process rather than a fixed outcome.

Additionally, I will incorporate student reflections and learning journals to track students’ attitudes and confidence levels in mathematics. Transitioning to secondary school can be daunting, and it is important to consider students’ emotional and psychological engagement with the subject. By analyzing their reflections, I can identify patterns in motivation and address any anxieties that may hinder their progress. This qualitative data is valuable in complementing numerical assessment results, providing a more holistic view of student learning.

Finally, summative assessments at key points in the year will evaluate students' overall progress and readiness for secondary-level mathematics. These may include project-based tasks, standardized tests, or cumulative assessments aligned with the refreshed curriculum. Summative assessments will help measure long-term retention and application of mathematical concepts, ensuring students have a solid foundation moving forward.

By using this diverse set of approaches, I can develop a well-rounded and accurate profile of students’ learning, ensuring that their transition from Primary to Secondary is supported both academically and emotionally. 

CoL 2025!

Malo e lelei everyone :)

Another year and yes I'm still here. From joining CoL back in 2018, I have always been an advocate for the learning area of Literacy. This year, I am taking a leap of faith and choosing Maths as my area of choice.

Inquiry question? Still pending.

For the last couple of years I have been looking into the transition of students from Primary level to Secondary. Being an Across School CoL teacher last year, I worked closely with our local high school - Tamaki College. I was able to create a mentoring/coaching group that consisted of Y9 students, to work with some of our Y8 students. The purpose of the group was to 'prepare our Y8 learners for the realities of High School'.

The content of what we covered was at High School level and was co-constructed by myself and one of the deans at Tamaki. Critical Thinking was a focus for us, so the activities, reading texts, pieces of writing that students worked with, stemmed from Critical Thinking.

I was confident that I was going to continue with the role so that I could branch out to the other schools in the cluster and initiate mentoring groups for their students too. Unfortunately, I missed out on that and thought that I would leave things where it's at, because I felt like I wasn't heard.

But this year, even with a Within School role, I would probably continue with my own Y8 students. It will be hard to work with the High School students due to time restrictions and timetable clashes and because I don't have access to the release days I had last year.

Anyhow, that is the plan for now. Things do change. But I remain hopeful I can continue with this phenomenon of helping my Y8 learners as best as I can with transitioning from Primary to Secondary.