Our Learning Groups
The Maths Club program is designed for primary school–aged children, but students are grouped by how they think mathematically, not by age or year level.
Students don’t all think about mathematics in the same way. So, when students are placed in the right stage, they build confidence and progress steadily. When they’re not, they often rely on short-term strategies that don’t hold as maths becomes more complex.
Each stage represents a different phase of mathematical development, with a focus on building deep understanding, sound reasoning and flexible problem-solving. These stages often span multiple year levels, as students develop at different rates.
Groups are named after constellations — timeless patterns used to bring structure and meaning to the night sky. In the same way, students learn to recognise patterns, build understanding, and see the bigger picture in mathematics.
Cygnus
Core number sense, additive thinking and structure
This group suits children who are developing confidence with number relationships, and whilst they still rely on counting for most calculations, they are ready to move beyond counting into more flexible thinking.
Students in Cygnus focus on developing strong additive thinking. They build confidence in combining, separating, and working with numbers in flexible ways. The emphasis is on clarity, accuracy, and forming the core structures that support all later mathematical thinking.
Like the swan gliding steadily across water, Cygnus represents calm, control, and a strong, steady base.
Orion
Growth through multiplicative thinking
This group suits children who are ready to move from additive thinking to a much more powerful idea of multiples. If your child relies on repeated addition to solve problems, or struggles to recognise multiplicative patterns or understand basic algebra, this is the group for them.
In Orion, students move beyond counting into multiplicative thinking. They explore patterns, arrays, and scaling, learning to see structure and efficiency in number relationships. This stage builds the ability to work more powerfully with numbers and is fundamental to algebraic thinking.
Like the hunter moving with purpose, Orion represents action, direction, and forward momentum.
Draco
Restructuring and partitioning
This group suits children who are ready to deepen their understanding of fractions and parts of a whole.
Draco students learn to break numbers and quantities apart and reassemble them in strategic ways. They develop the ability to see parts within wholes, understand fractions as numbers, connect fractions to division and ratio, and rason about equi-partitioning.
Like the twisting form of the dragon, Draco represents movement, reshaping, and seeing structure from different angles.
Libra
Balance and proportional reasoning
This group suits children who are ready to work with ratios, rates or percentages in a more powerful way. They may currently at the stage of thinking about relationships between quantities and may be ready to conquer multi-step relational problems.
In Libra, the focus shifts to relationships between quantities. Students explore ratios, rates, percentages, all underpinned by the big idea of proportional thinking. This helps children develop an understanding of balance, proportion, and comparison across different contexts.
Like the scales in perfect balance, Libra represents fairness, proportion, and equilibrium.
Phoenix
Generalising and algebraic thinking
This stage suits children who are ready to move beyond specific numbers into patters and general rules. Perhaps your child is ready to explore the fascinating world of algebra, send them to Phoenix!
Phoenix is where students begin to think beyond specific numbers. They identify patterns, form general rules, and engage with early algebraic thinking. The focus is on reasoning, abstraction, and expressing ideas that apply across many situations.
Like the phoenix rising and transforming, this stage represents insight, renewal, and seeing beyond the immediate.
Not sure where your child fits?
Most parents aren’t—and that’s normal.
You can:
- Start in Group 1 – Cygnus
- Choose a group based on the descriptions above
- Or begin with a 1:1 assessment for precise placement