OUR PR1ME STORY Western Heights School PR1ME has been an evolving journey for us at Western Heights, Auckland. It all began in 2019 when members of our senior management team learned about PR1ME and were eager to explore a programme that had demonstrated international success. After visiting other PR1ME schools and seeing its impact first-hand, we made the decision to fully embrace the programme as a whole school, embarking on the journey together. WHS made a significant investment, purchasing coursebooks, practice books, teacher guides, problemsolving big books, and answer books. Teachers from Years 3 to 6 conducted placement tests to determine whether students would work from the A or B book of each level. Initially, the division of books into A and B posed some challenges, so when this structure was revised, it was a welcomed change. Our teaching practices have undergone a considerable transformation, evolving alongside the programme. We’ve had numerous visitors to our school who have observed the shifts in pedagogy and practice within our staff. For those new to PR1ME, it’s important to recognise that it’s not just about students completing practice books. The programme is deeply rooted in the ‘Science of Learning’, drawing on cognitive research to align with how students think, learn, and acquire knowledge. PR1ME supports this perfectly. Our approach to teaching and learning now meets the diverse mathematical needs of our students while deepening pedagogical understanding. One of the most significant outcomes has been the shared understanding and now common language of PR1ME across our entire school community. Parents, teachers, and students alike have embraced the programme. Our students, in particular, love working through their practice books, and their motivation to learn maths has never been higher.
Western Heights School Henderson AUCKLAND Primary School Yr 0-6 Approx. 720 students
Western Heights School