Learning
& Engagement

Our Instructional Approach

At Malvern Valley Primary School, our instructional model provides a consistent approach to teaching and learning across all year levels and learning areas.

The model follows five key phases: Review, Teach, Practise, Apply and Reflect. Students begin by connecting to prior learning, before engaging in explicit teaching of new concepts and skills. They then have opportunities to practise their learning with support, apply their understanding independently and reflect on their progress and next steps.

This consistent approach helps create clarity for students, supports high-quality instruction and ensures all learners are provided with the best opportunity to succeed.

English

At Malvern Valley Primary School, we are committed to delivering a high-quality, evidence-based English program aligned to the Victorian Curriculum 2.0. We have transitioned to the updated curriculum alongside a consistent, whole-school instructional model that supports how students learn best.

The English curriculum is structured as a sequential continuum, developing students’ knowledge, understanding and skills across three interrelated areas: Language, Literature and Literacy. Through this, students build strong capabilities in reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing.

Reading at MVPS

Our reading program is grounded in the Science of Reading and focuses on developing all elements of word recognition and language comprehension, as referenced in Scarborough’s Reading Rope.

Students are taught:

• How to decode words through systematic phonics instruction
• How to understand texts through explicit teaching of comprehension strategies
• How to think deeply about texts through discussion, questioning and evidence based responses

We use a range of approaches including:

• Explicit strategy instruction (e.g. predicting, questioning, summarising. etc.)
• Small group reading and targeted teaching
• Rich, high-quality texts across fiction and non-fiction
• Novel studies to build vocabulary, background knowledge and comprehension

Our library also plays an important role, with students regularly borrowing books to support their independent reading at home and school.

Writing at MVPS

Writing is taught through a structured and explicit approach, supporting students to develop as confident and capable writers.

Our program:

• Follows a consistent cycle of idea generation, drafting, revising and publishing
• Uses the 6+1 Traits of Writing (ideas, organisation, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, presentation)
• Includes regular opportunities for students to write for a range of purposes and audiences

Students are supported to:

• Generate and develop ideas
• Build strong sentence structure and vocabulary
• Edit and improve their work through feedback

Writing is closely connected to reading, with students learning from high-quality mentor texts and applying these techniques in their own writing.

Phonics and Spelling (PhOrMeS)

At MVPS, students participate in daily spelling and phonics lessons using PhOrMeS, an evidence-based approach to literacy instruction.

Junior Years

Students engage in Systematic Synthetic Phonics, where they:

• Learn letter-sound relationships (codes) in a structured sequence
• Blend sounds to read words
• Segment sounds to spell words
• Progress from simple word structures to more complex, multi-syllabic words
• Learn common spelling rules and grammatical morphemes (e.g. -s, -ing, -ed)

Senior Years

Students build on this foundation by exploring:

• Latin and Greek roots
• Prefixes and suffixes
• Word origins (etymology)

This supports students to:

• Decode and spell more complex words
• Expand their vocabulary
• Develop a deeper understanding of language

Supporting Every Learner

At MVPS, we use a range of evidence-based practices to support student learning, including:

• Explicit teaching and clear learning intentions
• Ongoing formative assessment and feedback
• Engagement strategies to maximise student focus and participation
• Differentiated teaching to meet the needs of all learners

This ensures that all students develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to become capable readers, writers and communicators.

Maths

At Malvern Valley Primary School, we are committed to developing confident, capable and curious mathematical thinkers. Our Mathematics program is designed to build strong foundations, develop fluency and support students to apply their learning in meaningful, real-world contexts.

Aligned to the Victorian Curriculum 2.0 and the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model, we deliver a consistent, evidence-based approach to Mathematics through our instructional model.

This ensures that students experience:

• Clear, explicit teaching of key concepts
• Opportunities to practise and consolidate skills
• Rich tasks that promote reasoning, problem-solving and critical thinking
• Reflection to deepen understanding and make connections

A Focus on Deep Mathematical Understanding

The Mathematics curriculum is structured as a sequential learning continuum, underpinned by the four key proficiencies:

Understanding, Fluency, Reasoning and Problem-Solving

At MVPS, key areas for developing strong conceptual understanding include:

• Number Sense – recognising patterns, relationships and flexibility with numbers
• Place Value – understanding the structure and organisation of our number system
• Multiplicative Thinking – developing efficient strategies for multiplication and division
• Fractional Thinking – working with fractions, decimals and percentages in meaningful contexts

These key areas support students to build deep understanding and transfer their knowledge across different curriculum areas of Mathematics.

How Students Learn Mathematics at MVPS

Students engage in a balance of explicit instruction and rich learning experiences, allowing them to both build skills and apply their thinking.

This includes:

• Explicit teaching to introduce and model new concepts clearly
• Guided and independent practice to build fluency and confidence
• Open-ended and problem-solving tasks that encourage multiple strategies and flexible thinking
• Mathematical discussions where students explain, justify and refine their reasoning
• Hands-on materials and visual models to support conceptual understanding

As students progress, they are increasingly challenged to:

• Select and apply efficient strategies
• Explain their thinking using mathematical language
• Justify their reasoning
• Evaluate and refine their solutions

Supporting Every Learner

At MVPS, we use ongoing assessment and responsive teaching to ensure all students are supported and challenged in their learning. Our approach enables students to develop not only strong mathematical skills, but also the confidence and persistence to tackle unfamiliar problems. This ensures our students leave MVPS as independent, flexible and confident mathematical thinkers, equipped with the skills they need for future learning.

Wellbeing

At Malvern Valley Primary School, our Wellbeing Program is underpinned by the evidence-based Positive Education framework, encompassing the domains of Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Purpose, Health and Accomplishment. These elements are explicitly taught throughout the week, with consistent routines and practices embedded into every classroom, every day, to support students in developing strong habits of wellbeing.

Our wellbeing approach is further strengthened through the implementation of the Respectful Relationships curriculum. This supports students to build positive relationships, develop emotional literacy, practise empathy, and understand how to manage conflict in safe and constructive ways.

In addition, MVPS adopts a school-wide positive behaviours approach, ensuring clear, consistent and high expectations for behaviour across all settings. Students are explicitly taught what positive behaviour looks like, and are recognised and supported to make positive choices that contribute to a safe, inclusive and respectful learning environment.

Our school values underpin all expectations of behaviour and guide the way we learn and interact as a community. These values are lived and reinforced daily by students, staff and the wider school community:

• Resilience: Being able to bounce back and make the most of a situation when unexpected things happen
• Respect: Having regard for yourself, others and property
• Cooperation: Working together for the good of everyone
• Confidence: Having faith and trust in yourself

Together, these approaches ensure that all students at MVPS feel safe, supported and empowered to thrive both socially and emotionally, as well as academically.

Inquiry

At Malvern Valley Primary School, our Inquiry learning program is grounded in the belief that all students are capable, curious learners who can collaborate to explore and better understand the world around them.

Inquiry learning encourages students to take an active role in their learning by asking questions, investigating ideas and developing solutions to real-world problems. Through this approach, students build essential thinking skills and are supported to become confident problem-solvers, critical thinkers and engaged learners.

Our Inquiry units integrate key areas of the Victorian Curriculum, including:

• Humanities: Geography, History, Civics & Citizenship, and Economics & Business
• Science: Earth and Space, Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences
• Technologies: Design and Digital Technologies
• Capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Intercultural Capability, Ethical Capability, and Personal and Social Capability

Developing Lifelong Learners

Through Inquiry learning, students develop a range of transferable skills that support them across all areas of learning, including:

• Critical and creative thinking
• Digital literacy
• Planning, organisation and self-management
• Communication and collaboration

What Inquiry Looks Like at MVPS

Inquiry lessons provide students with opportunities to:

• Ask meaningful questions and explore their curiosities
• Articulate their thinking and wonderings about the world
• Take ownership and demonstrate agency in their learning
• Work collaboratively and develop strong teamwork skills
• Engage with real-world contexts through incursions, excursions and community connections
• Take action and make a positive impact

Through Inquiry, students at MVPS are supported to build strong connections between their learning, their community and the wider world, empowering them to become thoughtful, informed and active global citizens.