In the 1950s, Toyota was a struggling car manufacturer. It lacked the infrastructure and resources to compete with the giants of the global car industry, such as Ford in the US.
The executive board could not afford to invest in cutting-edge technology or large factory expansions. So instead of looking outward for solutions, they looked inward.
From this challenge, they embraced the philosophy of Kaizen. The word can be broken into two parts: kai, meaning “continuous”, and zen, meaning “improvement”.
Toyota embedded this philosophy into its workforce by giving employees the agency to identify areas for improvement and suggest solutions to help improve processes.
It soon led to changes. For example, a worker suggested lowering warning signs on machinery by four inches, which led to fewer accidents and fewer production stoppages. Another proposed using magnetic trays to collect loose screws to prevent losses and avoid slowed assembly lines.
The intent was clear: what small thing can we improve today?
Small steps, big changes
In schools, the responsibility for improvement is often seen as belonging to leadership. Senior leaders write the strategic development plan, rewrite policies and issue clear directives about priorities for teaching and learning.
But does this top-down approach always produce the greatest impact? After all, many educators will recall the experience of initiatives beginning with enthusiasm but gradually fading.
So I posed a simple question to my staff: instead of pointing out problems, why not adopt a Kaizen approach and identify small things we could improve?
As a leadership team, we encouraged staff to share small, practical ideas that could make daily teaching and school routines more effective. Importantly, these were not framed as criticisms of existing practice but as opportunities for incremental improvement.
We then made a deliberate effort to celebrate these suggestions. Teachers were given the agency to identify areas for improvement and propose actionable solutions.
When ideas were implemented, they were recognised and shared in the weekly staff memo. This simple act of acknowledgement reinforced the message that improvement was everyone’s responsibility, not just leadership’s.
In the first few months of adopting this philosophy, a number of small but impactful ideas emerged that changed how the school operated.
1. Widening admissions tours
The science department was frustrated that while they were delivering engaging, hands-on, practical lessons in the laboratory, the admissions tour never stopped there, meaning prospective families were walking past some of the most exciting learning in the school.
So the head of science posed a simple question: why don’t we bring prospective families into the lab so they can experience the learning taking place?
We reviewed the admissions process to ensure tours included visits to classrooms and laboratories so families could see lessons in action. Prospective pupils were able to take part in small demonstrations or observe practical work, too.
Since making this change, we have seen a noticeable increase in the conversion rate from school tours to enrolments.
2. More breaktime equipment
A Year 4 teacher raised concerns about behaviour during breaktimes. Her observation was that many children were bored, as those who did not enjoy football had very few alternatives during breaktime.
The proposed solution was simple: invest in playground games and activities that did not revolve around sport. The school introduced equipment such as table games, skipping ropes and collaborative playground activities.
The result was a clear improvement in behaviour during breaktimes, simply by giving pupils more ways to engage with one another.
3. Sense of community
Another idea came from a Year 10 tutor group, who felt the school could do more to contribute to the local and international community through charity work.
The tutor encouraged two Year 10 students to establish a student-led charity committee and invite representatives from each year group to join.
The committee is now responsible for organising charitable initiatives throughout the year. In the process, pupils are developing valuable skills such as leadership, communication and problem solving, while the school strengthens its contribution to the wider community.
Improve today for a better tomorrow
Ultimately, Kaizen has changed the way we think about school improvement. It is now a whole-school focus whereby small, thoughtful changes have a real impact because they come from those closest to the daily life of the school.
By asking a simple question - what small thing can we improve today? - we have created a culture where improvement is continuous, collaborative and sustainable.
Danny Steadman is deputy headteacher at St George’s British International School, Bilbao
