Introduction

The early years of education, from birth to 8 years, and evidence-informed practice are gaining prominence within global educational research. A growing body of literature emphasises the importance of embedding research evidence into decision-making processes at all levels of education ( Brown & Greany, 2018 ; Cain, 2019 ). Effectively leveraging research evidence can deepen understanding of students and their broader social contexts, thereby supporting more responsive and effective educational strategies ( Cain, 2019 ; Penuel et al., 2016 ; Rickinson et al., 2024a ).