Looking forward to 2027

Focus on Maths is back! and this time it's all about primary!

Thanks to a new philanthropic partner coming on board, the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT) has just reopened Focus on Maths for a new round of applications and this round is dedicated entirely to primary-level initiatives.

That means secondary schools aren't eligible for this particular round, but if you're a combined school, you can absolutely apply for funding that targets your younger students.

Given how many primary teachers and numeracy leaders I work with, I couldn't let this pass without flagging it for you all! So I've updated my original Focus on Maths post below with everything you need to know about this round, plus (as always) some ideas on how I might be able to support your application or your project itself.

The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT) offer an amazing opportunity to apply for funding for Professional Learning (PL) projects catered to your own school context. This initiative is designed to support maths education in disadvantaged school communities.

I wanted to use this blog to get the ball rolling, tell you a little more about the grants, and suggest how I could be of support to your school. Applications close on the 9th of August, 2026.

Through 'Focus on Maths', schools (or clusters of schools in a region) are able to apply for grants for a PL related project. Most grants for this round fall between $5,000 and $10,000 for a single school, though larger grants may be available to clusters of schools working collaboratively.

The project needs to be based around addressing one clear issue facing maths teaching in your school/cluster.

While primary and combined schools right across Australia can apply for this round, preference is given to:

• Rural and Regional schools
• Schools with an ICSEA value of less than 1000
• Schools with significant numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
• Schools with teachers who lack confidence in Maths

To apply for the grant, there is a simple form to fill in (there are great sample applications provided on the AAMT website to guide you through the process).

You are asked a series of general questions about your school (location, population, school ICSEA value etc.) and then you are asked to name and provide a short summary of the proposed project. The project can be from one term, up to one year in length.

I am sharing this information for two reasons.

1. I think it is an amazing opportunity for schools to be able to access high quality PL and develop the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) of teachers in schools across Australia.
2. I wanted to provide you with some examples of projects and issues I have helped schools and clusters with over the past couple of years, in case they also sound like an area of need for you.

Common Issues Facing Schools/Teachers

• Lack of student and teacher understanding in place value, leading to problems in other areas such as additive and multiplicative thinking
• Teachers looking for support to develop their confidence and understanding around the latest research and practical ideas related to highly effective teaching in Number (for example: Early Number, Place Value, Additive Thinking, Multiplicative Thinking, Fractions and Decimals)
• Students' lack of fluency in Number impacting their ability to problem solve and readily access more challenging maths concepts
• Teachers lacking understanding of how to use assessment data to guide their instruction

If any of the above issues sound familiar, I will now suggest some ways I have helped schools address these problems.

Strategic Guidance

This involves working on an ongoing basis with your school (over the course of the year) to support you in addressing the issue. In my Strategic Guidance package, I run two face-to-face PL days (usually one in Term 1, and one in Term 3), have termly online meetings to discuss 'potholes and progress', and have a day where I model/coach on site in your classrooms. I love this program as I really get down to the nuts and bolts of helping schools move forward in their practice.

One-Off PL

A one-off PL day where I come in and focus on an area of need (for example, developing a whole school approach to place value) is a great way to 'kick start' teacher confidence and engagement at your school. This, paired with 12 months access to my NTA online portal for your teachers and numeracy leader, provides year long mentoring and cumulatively develops the PCK of your staff.

Clusters of Schools

You may like to come together with local schools to apply for 'Focus on Maths' funding. I have worked with many clusters of schools and led them systematically through using high-quality assessment to support teachers in their understanding and teaching of place value. This includes exploring my Pre-PVAT and PVAT assessments (gathering, analysing and using data to guide instruction) or helping them to implement my Number Fluency Program. This may involve all staff from a few sites, or a selection of staff from your school, working alongside other schools in your area towards a common goal. This PL includes online modules, a full day face-to-face session, and 2x 45 minute Zoom implementation meetings.

Summary

It is my hope that by sharing some of the projects I have worked on with schools and clusters, it will encourage you to think about projects that would benefit the teachers at your school, and  if you're a primary or combined school apply for this round of AAMT funding.

If you need any assistance or further information on any of these projects, please reach out and I can assist you with your application (costing, wording etc.), or, of course, if you are interested in working with me directly on any of these projects, please reach out!

You can find out more about the funding and apply through the AAMT website here.

P.S. You can download the flyer below to print or share with colleagues.

Have a great week!

Ange 🎓🎲