Abstract
Tambrey Primary School, located near Karratha, Western Australia, has demonstrated how a consistent, whole-school approach to assessment and data-informed teaching can support measurable growth in student learning. Since implementing Essential Assessment in mid-2023, the school has embedded systematic practices across Years 2–6, using curriculum-aligned assessments to build a shared language of learning, inform responsive teaching, and monitor impact.
As a spotlight school within the Case Management in Mathematics 2025 project, Tambrey has pioneered the use of diagnostic data, structured data conversations, and targeted interventions to shift outcomes, particularly for students in the mid-performance band. The first case management cycle saw 94% of targeted students demonstrate growth, driven by teacher-led analysis, parallel teaching sequences, and the strategic use of Flexi assessments.
This case study highlights the value of integrating platform data with professional learning and collaborative planning to influence both classroom practice and system-level improvement. Tambrey’s story illustrates how clarity, consistency, and capacity-building can transform a school’s assessment culture and provide a replicable model for others seeking to grow student progress from the inside out.
Tambrey Primary School Context
Tambrey Primary School, located near Karratha in Western Australia, is named after one of the district’s earliest cattle stations. The school serves the suburbs of Tambrey, Jingari, Nickol, and Nickol West, and caters to approximately 700 students from diverse social and cultural backgrounds. With an Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) of 921, the school has a student population comprising 32% Indigenous and 27% EALD learners. Since beginning its Essential Assessment journey in mid-2023, Tambrey has entered its second year of embedding consistent, whole-school practices around assessment and data-informed instruction. Teachers across Years 2–6 administered the Number – General All pre-assessment, aligned to the Australian Curriculum v9.0, establishing shared expectations and a consistent approach to tracking student progress.
Platform usage has been strong, with over 24,700 student logins and 4,431 Numeracy assessments completed this year. A total of 3,033 pre-assessments, 446 mid-assessments, and 952 post-assessments have been administered, reflecting a clear commitment to assessment cycles that inform practice. While Year 1 is scheduled to begin using the platform in Semester 2, a small group of Foundation students have already participated through an extension program.
Strong Foundations, But…
Pre-assessment data clearly showed that many students began the year working below expected curriculum levels, particularly in Years 2 to 4, where significant gaps in foundational number knowledge were evident.
Graph 1: Pre-Assessment vs Expected Curriculum Level
Year 2 averaged 0.5 (expected 1.5), Year 3 reached 1.5 (expected 2.5), and Year 4 recorded 2.0 (expected 3.5). These patterns emphasised the need for explicit teaching, targeted intervention, and regular review.
This diagnostic insight was not only important internally, it formed a key data input for a broader Mathematics Case Management initiative supported at the cluster level. The school was selected as a spotlight site, with the aim of trialling and documenting effective practice that could influence systemic growth strategies. Their role in this project has been to build a replicable model for using assessment, feedback, and structured data conversation cycles to move student learning forward.
Traditional A-E reporting would not have captured this complexity. Growth data was essential to understand instructional impact.
Therefore Growth is the Goal
The mid-year data now reveals a compelling story of learning growth, even where attainment remains below year-level expectations.
Graph 2: Mid-Year Attainment vs Expected
Mid-year results revealed continued below-level performance in Years 2–4, but measurable gains were emerging.
Graph 3: Semester 1 Growth vs Expected Growth
- Year 4 and 6 showed 1.5 levels of growth — triple the expected gain.
- Year 5 recorded a full level of growth.
- Years 2 and 3 achieved expected growth of 0.5.
This growth trajectory underscores the importance of responsive teaching and data-informed intervention and provides compelling evidence to support the school’s inclusion in the diocesan case management network. These results are now feeding back into diocesan learning and teaching frameworks to build a sustainable model of evidence-based practice.
What the Data Tells Us
| Year Level | Growth | Insight |
| Year 2 | 0.5 | On track for growth, but still well below curriculum level – targeted foundational teaching required |
| Year 3 | 0.5 | Consistent growth from low baseline – consolidation essential |
| Year 4 | 1.5 | High growth – instructional strategies having strong impact |
| Year 5 | 1.0 | Solid growth – may benefit from targeted extension and review |
| Year 6 | 1.5 | High growth and meeting expected attainment – strong consolidation evident |
Spotlight on Case Management Impact
In parallel, the school has been implementing a structured Case Management initiative with 22 teachers and 76 students participating in the first cycle. This initiative has focused on moving students in the mid-performance band from ‘C’ to ‘C+’ and beyond. Essential Assessment data has been instrumental in guiding this work, helping teachers identify misconceptions, strengthen Daily Learning Reviews (DLRs), and personalise learning sequences. Celebrating early success, 94% of students involved in the cycle demonstrated measurable growth, with teacher feedback highlighting increased confidence in using EA data to improve teaching and track impact.
Spotlight: Case Management Cycles Strengthen EA Impact
As part of the school’s professional learning approach, Case Management Cycles have supported deeper engagement with Essential Assessment.
- 94% of case-managed students demonstrated growth, affirming the power of targeted intervention.
- Teachers used EA’s diagnostic data to design parallel differentiated lessons and track progress over time.
- Custom Flexi assessments were introduced to fine-tune instruction for targeted groups like the “Thrive” program.
- Collaboration has strengthened, with pre-scheduled planning sessions supporting consistent and focused teaching conversations.
Teacher voice has been central:
“I’ve used EA to strengthen DLRs, classroom tasks and reporting.”
“The slow release into becoming familiar with EA was helpful. It could have been overwhelming.”
“Essential Assessment is really showing the difference I am making with my Maths group.”
Where to Next?
As part of the Case Management in Mathematics 2025 Project, the school’s next phase will focus on deepening impact and scaling what works. The data story from this school is being used to:
- Demonstrate how a systematic approach to assessment, growth tracking, and feedback can shift outcomes.
- Model how targeted data conversations can build teacher expertise and confidence.
- Inform planning cycles and resource allocation across other diocesan schools.
- Sustain momentum and lift future outcomes by:
- Celebrating high-growth cohorts – using student work samples and growth graphs in team meetings to explore what worked and why.
- Identifying successful practices – facilitating professional conversations to share strategies driving impact in Years 4–6.
- Consolidate in Years 2–3 – using My Numeracy and Flexi-assessments to target misconceptions and review key skills.
- Strengthen Year 1 and Foundation by:
- Focusing on prerequisite knowledge and early number concepts.
- Using frequent checks for understanding to adjust instruction quickly.
- Encouraging small-step success to build confidence and engagement.
- Support the development of assessment-capable learners who can track their growth and recognise progress.
By embedding these practices, and continuing to lead as part of the case management cohort, this school is contributing to a shared understanding of what it takes to move students forward in Mathematics, particularly in the early and middle years in particular, leveraging EA data to support deeper growth conversations and targeted improvement in the C–B achievement band.
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