Make maths count

Youngsters attending Stawell West Primary School are ultimately set to be the beneficiaries of a monthlong visit to the school by independent mathematics consultant Margaret Young.

Ms Young, a Queenslander who has lived and worked in the United Kingdom and been a school advisor for many years, is working with teachers this month while auditing and reviewing the school mathematics program. She said she was basically working as a coaching aid for teachers at the school while gaining a clear understanding of the maths program.

“Basically what we have done so far is an audit of what maths teaching looks like in the school and set up a plan to work with teachers to help strengthen the curriculum,” she said.

Ms Young found herself at the school for four weeks, her first working visit back home in Australia, through contact with principal James O’brien.

She will return to England early next month.

“Maths underpins everything we do in life,” she said.

“It’s a life skill and gives students a better chance in careers or simply living and being part of society.

“The key is to have fun with it and be engaging – that is what is really important.”