Paul Wood, Director of Early Learning & Primary Education provided the following information:

The Literacy and Numeracy Strategy 2017 – 2020 is a four-year plan to support the quality teaching of literacy and numeracy across all NSW schools.

We are working with principals and teachers in the implementation of new tools to support literacy and numeracy teaching and learning, including the use of the learning progressions, revised Best Start Kindergarten Assessment and PLAN2.

The new tools are designed to strengthen support for teachers:

• The learning progressions provide greater detail than the current literacy and numeracy continuums.
• PLAN2 is a data collection tool that can be used for recording and analysing the information gathered when using the progressions so it can inform teaching.

Early Action for Success schools currently monitor student progress as part of the department’s commitment to building strong foundations of literacy and numeracy in our most disadvantaged schools. This year these schools have begun to do this using the learning progressions and PLAN2.

For all other schools, Best Start Kindergarten in 2019 will offer the chance to use the learning progressions and PLAN2. These schools will then make their own decisions as to how they want to use the learning progressions to support teaching and learning. The NSW syllabuses remain the focus for planning, programming, teaching, learning and assessment in all NSW public schools. The learning progressions are complementary tools to support teaching and learning through the curriculum.

There will be a continued focus on supporting schools through professional learning in Terms 3 and 4. Please contact the Literacy and Numeracy Team on 9244 5387 if you require further information.