The Early Number Sense Screener for Australia (ENSSA)
An Australian-validated numeracy screener for Foundation & Year 1.
As part of a new set of school funding agreements, Australian governments have agreed to implement a nationally consistent numeracy screening check for the early years (Foundation and/or Year 1).
An effective screening tool will be efficient to use for all students, generate reliable data, and directly inform teaching practice by flagging students who may be at risk of developing mathematics difficulties.
Until recently, there was no such tool available that was designed specifically for Australian students studying Australian curriculums.
Watch CIS Senior Research Associate Kelly Norris explain:
What’s the ENSSA and where did it come from?
The Early Number Sense Screener for Australia (ENSSA) is a purpose-built, research-informed tool designed to identify young students who may be at risk in foundational mathematics.
Developed by the Centre for Independent Studies with input from Australian teachers and international experts, the ENSSA was created in response to the need for a reliable, curriculum-aligned numeracy check that supports early action in the classroom.
Piloted with thousands of students across school systems in 2025, ENSSA now stands ready to support schools nationwide to implement effective screening as part of a multi-tiered approach to learning support.
What’s new for 2026?
Expanded System Participation
In 2026, the ENSSA continues to scale across Australian jurisdictions, supporting both Better and Fairer Schools Agreement (BAFSA) requirements and sector-wide MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) strategies. We’re now working with government and Catholic systems in multiple states to embed screening into a broader approach to early numeracy intervention.
- Already involved? Returning systems and schools will receive updated materials and options for streamlining student setup and login.
- New to ENSSA? We welcome expressions of interest from individual schools and new systems looking to trial or implement screening in 2026.
📎 Attachments:
Screening windows in 2026
ENSSA will be available during the following three key windows this year:
| Window | Date Range | Recommended Use |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | Early Term 2 | Continuing schools and systems from 2025 research period Limited participation available for new schools (outside a system approach) looking to support the research aims of the project* Not recommended for systems initiating a new, systematic approach to numeracy screening |
| MOY | Early Term 3 | First national screening checkpoint |
| EOY | Mid Term 4 | Follow-up and growth data |
*Enquire for availability
When adopting ENSSA as a system-wide consistent numeracy screening measure, screening windows can be adjusted according to context-specific needs.
Schools and systems may choose one or more windows depending on implementation goals. From 2027, schools are encouraged to consider involvement in all three annual screening windows if looking to support effective MTSS practices.
Updated training - coming soon!
All training is currently being updated and migrated to the Open Learning ENSSA Hub:
Includes on-demand self-paced modules
Supports system-based rollouts with flexible delivery
Refreshed for 2026 to reflect updates in screening design and reporting
Looking for tailored advice for your school system?
👉 Contact us at maths@cis.org.au to discuss participation options, onboarding timelines, or integration with existing MTSS plans.
What’s the research?
Our screening tool is based on three aspects of core number competency in the early years that are predictive of future mathematics success, known collectively as ‘number sense’:
- Number (including saying, reading, and writing numbers);
- Number relations (comparing and understanding numbers in terms of ‘more’ and ‘less’); and
- Number operations (understanding and facility with addition and subtraction).
Learn more about the research supporting our approach, the flaws of existing approaches, and the ideal model for screening use by reading the full research report here.
Our research and delivery partners
