S9. Leverage Marginal Gains toolkit
Toolkit
Leveraging marginal gains means focusing on small, incremental improvements across all areas of school life. These 1% improvements, when tracked and celebrated, accumulate into meaningful change over time. This planner helps leaders and teams capture, measure, and reflect on their marginal gains, ensuring they align with the school’s priorities and are embedded in daily routines.
| Key Areas to Target |
| Which areas of school life could benefit from small improvements (e.g. lesson transitions, behaviour routines, staff meetings, communication systems)? |
| 1% Improvements (Small Changes) |
| What small, specific changes are being trialled? Record each change clearly so it can be tracked over time. |
| Tracking & Evidence |
| How will you monitor the impact of each small change (e.g. minutes gained, behaviour data, survey feedback, observations)? |
| Celebration & Sharing |
| How will small wins be recognised and communicated so they reinforce a culture of continuous improvement? |
| Cumulative Impact |
| What overall difference have the small gains made across the term/year (e.g. teaching time reclaimed, attendance lifted, workload reduced)? |
| Reflection Prompts |
| Am I identifying the right areas for marginal gains? Are small changes aligned with our wider priorities and goals? Are we tracking the impact of these changes in meaningful ways? Do we celebrate and share small wins often enough to build momentum? How can we embed continuous improvement as a daily habit for all staff? |
S9. Leverage Marginal Gains: example toolkit
Role: Deputy Headteacher
| Key Areas to Target |
| The focus areas for marginal gains this year are lesson transitions, staff communication systems, and the consistency of behaviour routines. Each of these areas has the potential to reclaim small amounts of time, improve staff clarity, and strengthen the overall culture of calm and purpose in the school. |
| 1% Improvements (Small Changes) |
| In lesson transitions, we introduced a school-wide “3-minute reset” routine between periods to standardise how lessons begin, reducing settling time and increasing teaching minutes. In communication, we refined the format of weekly bulletins to include three sections: priorities, celebrations, and reminders, reducing email volume and repetition. For behaviour routines, we added visual reminders in corridors to prompt consistent use of language when addressing conduct. |
| Tracking & Evidence |
| For transitions, we tracked lesson start times through learning walks and found an average gain of three minutes per lesson, equating to over an hour of additional learning per student per week. For communication, a short staff survey showed that 82% of staff found the new bulletin format clearer and easier to follow. For behaviour routines, incident data in target corridors reduced by 25% over the first term, suggesting stronger consistency in staff response. |
| Celebration & Sharing |
| Small wins are shared weekly in the staff briefing under a “Marginal Gains in Action” section. We showcase quick before-and-after examples, celebrate individuals who have refined a process, and encourage departments to share their own 1% ideas. Recognising these small changes publicly helps embed the mindset that improvement is everyone’s responsibility and that perfection is achieved through iteration, not overhaul. |
| Cumulative Impact |
| By the end of the term, the cumulative effect of these changes has been tangible. Lesson transitions are smoother, students are calmer, and staff report a greater sense of alignment. Across the term, the reclaimed time from transitions alone equates to several full days of additional teaching. The improved communication rhythm has also contributed to fewer missed deadlines and reduced duplication of work, freeing leaders to focus on strategic actions rather than clarifying operational details. |
| Reflection Prompts |
| Am I identifying the right areas for marginal gains? Are small changes aligned with our wider priorities and goals? Are we tracking the impact of these changes in meaningful ways? Do we celebrate and share small wins often enough to build momentum? How can we embed continuous improvement as a daily habit for all staff? |