🌱Small Changes, Big Difference: Designing Quick Wins for 2026
When you think about improving your school for 2026, it’s easy to imagine big projects: new systems, new programmes, new strategies.
But in real school life, the changes that often matter most are smaller and more human:
A clearer email
A simpler form
A better welcome
A calmer routine
Service design is very comfortable with this. It says:
“Let’s design small, real improvements that people will actually feel in 2026.”
⚡️Why small changes are powerful
Small changes:
Are faster to test
Are easier to explain
Don’t demand endless training or new platforms
Send a message that you care about people’s everyday experience
And importantly, they fit better within the energy you and your staff actually have.
💡Some “quick win” ideas for 2026
Here are a few areas where schools often see quick wins.
1. A more welcoming admissions email for 2026 families
Instead of a long, formal message with heavy attachments, imagine:
A short, friendly welcome email
Clear, plain language
One link to a simple “Admissions 2026” page
Result: fewer calls to the office, less confusion, a warmer first impression.
2. A “Start of 2026” guide in one place
Parents and carers often get information from multiple channels.
For 2026, you could create:
One clear guide or page for “Start of 2026”
Simple sections: Before term starts, First week, Who to contact
Bullet‑point information written in everyday language
Result: families feel more confident, staff answer fewer repeated questions.
3. Tidying up communication channels
Over time, schools can end up with:
Multiple apps
Email lists
Paper notes
Social media posts
For 2026, you might:
Decide which 1–2 channels are “official” for key messages
Make that clear to families and staff
Use the others for extras, not essentials
Result: less noise, fewer missed messages, a calmer information flow.
4. One tiny ritual for student check‑ins
Service design also cares about how school feels.
For 2026, you might introduce:
A 2‑minute morning check‑in question
A weekly “How was this week?” pulse survey for one year group
A regular space for students to share small wins or worries
Result: students feel seen, and you notice issues earlier.
🛠️ Designing your 2026 quick wins
You don’t need dozens of these. To get ready for 2026, you could simply choose:
One quick win for families
One quick win for students
One quick win for staff
Design them with the people they affect. Test them in a small area first. Adjust as you go.
Next week, we’ll look at bringing staff on board so these 2026 changes feel safe, realistic, and shared – not like another thing being handed down from above.
