Staff

It is my privilege to lead Grange Primary School as its Principal. This is the tenth year I have been Principal at Grange.

Prior to Grange I have been Principal at three other schools:

• Swallowcliffe Preschool-7 (Davoren Park)
• Elizabeth Vale Preschool-9
• Open Access College R-10 School of Distance Education

I have worked in diverse school and regional roles in leading curriculum initiatives, particularly in English and Mathematics. In 2023 I spent the last 3 terms as Director for Curriculum Support in leading a team of 42 project officers to proactively support sites, preschools to year 12 across the state.

Through these differing roles I have been able to build a bank of expertise, networks and understandings of leading learning preschool to year 10. This adds much value to my work as Principal at Grange PS.

Near the end of 2022 I was honoured to be presented the Public Education the Leader of the Year Award. The summary transcript from this award is recorded below: 

2022 Public Education Award- Leader of the Year, Grant Small, Kaurna country

Empowering his students and staff delivers exceptional outcomes.

Grant has had an exemplary career in Education that has spanned over 4 decades. Now in his 8th year as Principal of Grange Primary School, Grant’s had significant, positive impact on school culture and achievement. His vision for world class encompasses staff and students alike and is being actively realised. Seeing all staff as leaders and all students—whose voices are sought to continuously improve teaching and learning—as active contributors to their own education, Grant has a strong ability to build capacity to generate results. Under Grant’s mentorship, 10 of his middle level leaders have gone on to be principals.

Grant achieved significant data-verified success at Grange Primary School through reconfiguring the leadership structure. He transitioned the structure from management to instructional leadership. Grant also prioritised strengthening curriculum coaches in Mathematics and English to focus on improving student engagement and achievement. This success is shared across the portfolio and across the state as Grant actively shares his own learning and encourages teachers and leaders to visit Grange to observe teachers and share practice. This includes developing a sister school relationship with primary schools in Singapore in Mathematics. Grant has led the school in using technology and this year the school capital works program will focus on building an Innovation Centre which will include a lumination lab – the first in any stand-alone primary school.

My role as Principal and my years of experience allow me to lead and support the outstanding work of our leaders, teachers, support staff, students and community of Grange Primary School.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have a compliment about our work, areas that we can improve and strengthen or any other topics. If you see me in the yard, I am always open for a chat.

Regards, Grant

I have been at Grange Primary School for six years, working in classrooms and serving as a Literacy Coach. This year, my new role allows me to focus on teaching and learning for the Year 3-4 cohort, as well as oversee the wellbeing and engagement of all children from Reception to Year 6.

Before joining Grange, I held leadership positions in various country schools, in Adelaide, and in regional offices. I am excited to bring this experience to my new role as Senior Leader.

At Grange PS, we have a positive staff learning culture, which enables me to work closely with teaching teams to address both whole class and individual learning needs. Collaborating with our teaching staff, students, and families is very important to me.

I also work with our Student Voice representatives and Year 6 Student Leaders to foster student agency and involve them in meaningful conversations. Our student leaders host school assemblies, helping us share information with the school community.

Wellbeing is a key focus of my work, ensuring that children feel a sense of belonging and can learn in a safe, inclusive environment. I am fortunate to know many families at Grange and look forward to working with many more in my role as Senior Leader.

As the Literacy Coach, my role is to collaboratively engage with all staff members in a coaching and mentoring capacity to cultivate excellence in pedagogical practices related to reading, writing, and spelling.

I provide professional development, tailored coaching and guidance to teachers and SSOs, to effectively integrate evidence-based pedagogy with a focus on consistent instructional frameworks, and strategies aimed at maximizing student engagement and achievement.

I am particularly passionate about helping children develop their love of reading through strengthening their ability to decode and comprehend. I am deeply committed to assisting students with diverse learning needs, such as dyslexia and dysgraphia, to use digital tools and technologies to enhance accessibility and facilitate meaningful learning experiences.

In addition to my role as a Literacy Coach, I work as the Aboriginal Education Teacher (AET), where I am dedicated to supporting both the well-being of and the academic progression of our Indigenous students in literacy and numeracy.

Furthermore, I oversee the educational needs of students with English as an Additional Language/Dialect (EALD), and provide tailored support and guidance to enhance their English language proficiency and academic achievement.