Talking Engagement with Principal Anne Grayson

In this episode, Amy talks with Anne Grayson, Principal of Robe Primary School in South Australia's Limestone Coast region. The conversation covers the school's journey in bringing to life their "Learning to learn, learning for life" vision.

How it started: The school was introduced to Amy's research through a network partnership. Staff were immediately inspired, particularly by the distinction between compliance and genuine engagement — recognising that busy-looking classrooms aren't necessarily engaged ones.

The "Learning to Learn, Learning for Life" framework: Anne brought together three ideas — the Engagement Continuum, the Learning Pit, and brain science/trauma-informed practice (Berry Street training) — into a unified school-wide approach. Staff were given autonomy to "bend and fold" the framework to their contexts, which generated strong buy-in with no pushback.

Key insights discussed:

• Behavior issues often decrease when students are genuinely cognitively engaged
• Evidence of impact doesn't have to be numerical — rich qualitative data and student voice are equally valid
• The continuum must be put into learners' hands, not just used as a teacher management tool
• The school uses "notice, name, narrate, and nudge" to build their authentic learning language

Student impact stories: Children as young as 5 are using the language of learning authentically — including one student who independently identified being "in the pit" during learning, chose a strategy to get unstuck, and celebrated moving out of it, all in just seven weeks into the school year.

Top tips for schools:

1. Take the risk — you don't need all the answers to start
2. Give staff the license to experiment without judgment
3. Make it inclusive — visuals and language consistent across every learning space
4. Approach it with curiosity, not a problem-fixing mindset

Want to learn more?

Join us in The Engagement Hub, our online community for educators interested in supporting engagement and empowering learners. You can connect with Amy and many of our guests there.

Thanks for listening!