A guide to rotational, multi-age and team-teaching

We want all children to have access to and full participation in high-quality early learning—no matter who they are or where they’re from. Victoria University’s Mitchell Institute report ‘Unequal from the Start’ (Tham et al, 2025), reveals the gaps in critical development experienced by children experiencing disadvantage and the potential for deliberately inclusive, culturally responsive and equity-focused programs to disrupt cycles of poverty and disadvantage. From a social justice and equity perspective, this work is central to our purpose at ECMS and it sits at the heart of the Victorian Government’s Best Start, Best Life (BSBL) reforms, the most significant changes to our sector in a generation.

These changes are a fantastic opportunity to increase access to high quality early learning and achieve the best learning outcomes for all children. There are three important ways this can be done: rotational models, multi-age groups, and team-teaching.

The Victorian Government has provided detailed information for families here and toolkits for educators on each of these three approaches to BSBL, including hypothetical examples which explain how the three approaches can work in the day to day operation of a service.

Rotational models: giving children the flexibility to flourish

Rotational models are already proving an effective way to accommodate increased hours while offering children a secure rhythm to their week. In these models, children are placed into consistent sub-groups that rotate attendance across the week, allowing services to meet demand without compromising quality.

The Victorian Government’s guide to the rotational model describes an example where children form friendships across groups, teaching teams have dedicated time for planning, and families can choose groups that work for them​.

The guide shows how a week might look like using the rotational model. In this table, imagine your child is in the Dingoes 3-year-old group. They would share their learning with children in other groups, like this:

From a pedagogical perspective, rotational models support social dynamics and environments—important skills for school and for life. They also allow educators to offer more tailored learning opportunities to smaller groups, helping us to meet children where they are and support them in their next steps.

Multi-age groups: deepening relationships, expanding learning

Multi-age grouping is not a new idea—it reflects the way children naturally interact in families and communities. But as part of the BSBL reforms, multi-age programs are becoming a practical and powerful way increase access for more families.

In the multi-age guide’s example, the teaching team combined 3- and 4-year-old groups to create a flexible and inclusive learning environment. This allowed siblings to attend together and enabled educators to plan with a broader perspective — focusing on what children can do, rather than what age they are​.

The benefits are profound. Children become guides and mentors, while others are inspired by their peers. Play becomes more complex, social skills deepen, and a spirit of collaboration grows. As educators, we expand our practice, and families often experience greater continuity in their child’s early learning journey.

Learning is relational, and multi-age grouping makes space for those relationships to flourish in new and meaningful ways.

Team teaching: growing together, learning together

Team teaching is an essential part of how we support every child. It enables a collaborative approach to curriculum delivery, ensuring that every child has the ability to fully participate in quality learning and that educators feel supported in managing the complexities of longer and more diverse days.

The team-teaching guide’s example describes how multiple educators working together across indoor and outdoor spaces were able to offer 20 hours of Pre-Prep alongside Three-Year-Old Kindergarten sessions. Children benefited from consistent relationships across their day, while educators supported one another in managing transitions and tailoring learning experiences​.

This kind of collaboration is central to ECMS’ way of working. We’re not just delivering programs. We’re ‘being with’ each other - learning, reflecting and growing together.

Team teaching also helps embed differentiated learning. Whether through modelling, scaffolding or shared assessment, educators can draw on each other’s strengths and experiences to ensure every child has what they need to thrive.

Bringing the reforms to life

These examples are hypothetical, but they open up possibilities for us to explore how we can bring BSBL to life. ECMS’ commitment to social justice and equity helps us understand why these reforms are so important and it gives us the pedagogically-led approach to bring the reforms to life.

As part of our place-based approach to teaching and learning, we know place will play a major role in how we move forward. No two services will look alike in the way they apply rotational, multi-age or team-teaching, and we’re already applying these methods in a number of our services. Through the BSBL reforms, guided by our pedagogically-led approach, we have the opportunity foster real, positive change.

And as we do, we need to keep remembering what’s at the heart of this journey: the right of every child to experience the joy, connection and wonder of quality early learning.

REFERENCE LIST

Tham, M., Leung, C., Hurley, P., Pilcher, S., & Prokofieva, M. (2025). Unequal from the start: The achievement gap and the early years. Mitchell Institute, Victoria University.