We explore if differentiation is possible while adhering to year-level requirements

Differentiation is becoming one of the most common teaching strategies to address learning needs, especially for those students who are excelling above their peers or those who need extra support. But is this where we should stop when it comes to differentiation – can it truly only serve as a supplementary tool for our higher and lower achieving students?

The current school system asks teachers to follow a curriculum based on student year level, but we’ve long known that a student’s knowledge and ability—especially in subjects like maths – aren’t determined by their age. For instance, the average Year 7 class often spans an ability range of up to eight years. While it may seem logical to structure the curriculum around what we expect a 13-year-old to know, the reality in the classroom can be very different. Teachers may open the textbook to Chapter 3 only to find that 50% of their students lack the prerequisite knowledge to grasp the content or have already mastered this material. 

Learning gaps accumulate over time, and the longer they remain unaddressed, the more pronounced and difficult they become to bridge. This can ultimately prevent students from confidently progressing into and completing senior and advanced subjects. A student who misses a crucial concept in fractions may struggle later with ratios and percentages, which could lead to disengagement in class and discourage them from enrolling in Year 11 mathematics. As a result, this could limit their future academic and university choices. 

It becomes increasingly challenging for students to see meaningful growth when they are expected to meet the same milestones at the same time as their peers, regardless of their starting point. Often, students need to revisit foundational content from earlier years before they’re ready to take on more advanced concepts. Sticking to a rigid curriculum and relying on inflexible resources like textbooks limits an educator’s ability to adapt to students’ needs, hindering timely intervention. 

Students disengage when they feel lost or left behind, and teachers face burnout trying to juggle curriculum demands with the needs of diverse learners. It can take a toll on teachers when they know students need more support, but a lack of time and resources holds them back from offering every student the support they really need. 

Despite the challenges the school community faces following rigid curriculums, it’s still a requirement that must be followed, so how do we overcome these challenges, meet age-based curriculum requirements and offer students a differentiated approach so they can grow from their place along the learning continuum? 

There haven’t been any programs, textbooks or resources available to meet this list of requirements until now. Maths Pathway is excited to introduce Instructive, our new mathematics program.

Teachers face a constant balancing act—getting through the required age-based curriculum while also addressing the vast range of student abilities in their classrooms. Some students need extra support to fill learning gaps, while others are ready to be extended. Finding the time and resources to personalise learning without falling behind on curriculum delivery is a challenge every maths teacher knows well.

Instructive removes this tension by providing a structured, curriculum-aligned approach that integrates personalised learning with explicit teaching. With detailed diagnostics, automated individual learning plans, and whole-class teaching resources, teachers can ensure that every student is working at the right level without compromising on curriculum coverage. By streamlining differentiation and making lesson planning easier, Instructive helps teachers focus on what matters most—supporting student growth and confidence in maths.

With Instructive, schools get:

✅ A structured approach that supports explicit teaching and differentiation.
✅ A system that adapts to teacher needs, offering flexibility while ensuring students stay on track.
✅ Built-in reporting and assessment tools, reducing admin work and helping teachers focus on student growth.

Watch the video to learn more about Instructive