By Damian Cowell
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Why our teaching and learning is evidence-based at ECMS
At ECMS, evidence guides every pedagogical decision we make, and it underpins our deep respect for the rights of children, families and educators. Our commitment to evidence-based practice honours the complexity of early childhood education, supports critical inclusion for every child, and builds the strongest foundation for lifelong learning.
“Being evidence-based ensures that every decision we make is informed by what we know from evidence specific to the early years and how we then apply that in practice for children's learning, development, and wellbeing, not doing something just because we’ve always done it this way. It’s how we honour the complexity of teaching, the rights of children, and the trust families place in us. That’s the basis of ECMS’ pedagogical framework, underpinned by the Early Years Learning Framework.”
— Emma Forsyth, ECMS Head of Pedagogy
What does it mean to be evidence-based?
Evidence-based education means using the best available research, combined with professional judgement and local knowledge, to guide decisions in our learning programs. It means we constantly ask: What do we know works? What are children telling us and what do we know about them, through their play, their experiences, and in their interactions? And how do we use this evidence to support what they’re ready to learn next?
The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) provides a helpful set of Standards of Evidence, which guide how we assess the quality and impact of a teaching practice. Their interactive decision-making tool encourages educators to reflect critically on what evidence supports a chosen approach, and how to apply it with intent and integrity.
At ECMS, this reflects our ongoing work through intentional teaching. As explored in our earlier blog "Intentional teaching – how it enhances children’s learning", intentionality isn’t about inflexible process. It’s about knowing each child deeply, using that knowledge to design responsive learning experiences, and drawing from reliable, high-quality evidence to ensure we’re not just doing what’s familiar, but what will matter most within a child’s learning trajectory.
Differentiation, inclusion and meeting children where they are
Our commitment to evidence is practical. It’s present every time an educator adjusts their teaching to meet a child where they are. Through differentiated learning, ECMS educators use observation and professional judgement, with cultural knowledges, and place-based sciences working alongside developmental, socio-cultural and practice theory from educational theorists. This enables our expert teaching teams to tailor learning experiences that use critical, feminist and post-structural theories to plan for and implement teaching and learning that supports individual needs, circumstances and readiness (Pg 13, EYLF, 2022).
As Emma Forsyth shares:
“Differentiation means we take a different approach depending on what’s needed, in the context of place. What do children know, and what are they ready to learn next?”
This idea is embedded within the Early Years Learning Framework and Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework, which recognise that learning is relational, developmental and unique to every child. High-quality education isn’t uniform. It’s responsive.
Equity through evidence
We also know that evidence-based practice is critical for equity. Research from the Mitchell Institute reinforces this:
"High-quality early childhood education must be informed by the best available evidence to ensure that it delivers strong outcomes for all children, particularly those experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage."
— Torii, K., Fox, S., & Cloney, D. (2017)
Evidence helps us remove bias. It helps us recognise who might be missing from the story, and who we need to include more purposefully. Our anti-bias approach, our place-based practice, and our work alongside families and community all draw from a clear evidence base about what children need to thrive.
Evidence in our everyday practice
It’s easy to think of “evidence” as something technical or abstract. But at ECMS, it’s deeply human. It’s woven into our pedagogy of relationship and our understanding of children as capable, curious learners. It’s there in the small decisions - a moment of co-regulation, a shift in planning based on a child’s voice, or a reflection in our Educational Leader forums on what transformative practice shifts may be needed.
We don’t see evidence as a box to tick. We see it as a commitment to every child’s right to quality learning. And that’s why we continuously engage with research, ask critical questions, and embed reflective practice into our everyday work.
Being evidence-based is not just a teaching approach, it’s an organisational value. It’s the reason we partner with researchers, prioritise professional learning, and support our educators to lead with confidence and clarity. Because when we lead with evidence, we lead with integrity.
Want to explore the standards yourself? Try the AERO interactive evidence decision-making tool.
