Kalpana Patel

Current role: maths teacher
Previous career: accountant

Kalpana chose a career in teaching after spending a number of years in accountancy. It’s a decision she hasn’t regretted. “I’ve been teaching at my current school for over four years now and I still find it rewarding. My days are never the same and I’m always facing new challenges. I don’t think I could ever see myself going back to an office job now.”

Experiencing real classes in different schools was valuable for Kalpana. “I wanted to discover if I was making the right choice and find out what type of school best-suited me. I found it a really useful experience, especially when it came to looking for my first job.”

Kalpana discovered there were lots of benefits to her new job that she hadn’t expected. “I was pleasantly surprised by how well teachers are rewarded financially. Plus, my school is quite flexible in terms of working hours, especially if you’re a parent. And of course there are also the nice long holidays.”

With her background in banking and accountancy, Kalpana found her industry experience has been invaluable in inspiring her pupils. “It’s made it easy to relate to the A-level pupils, especially in terms of talking to them about potential careers and jobs where they could use their maths skills.”

When asked what she thinks of the Transition to Teaching Programme Kalpana says, “I think it’s a brilliant idea. Having a tailored programme in place to help people transfer their skills to teaching should benefit everyone involved.”