How teaching creates impact far beyond the classroom

After a Teach First STEM insight week opened his eyes to the realities of educational inequality, Charith changed the course of his career entirely. In his own words, he reflects on the challenges and rewards of teaching, the skills he's carried into a career in AI at Deloitte, and why he's still committed to creating opportunities for pupils through mentoring, governance and partnerships.

I studied engineering at Imperial College London, and my intention was always to go into finance or consulting. I did a range of internships, in a lab, at consulting firms, and in finance.

Then I did the Teach First STEM insight week in my penultimate year of university. We spent one week doing training and one week in a school in Hartlepool, which was a part of the country I hadn't been to before. That week completely changed my life. And it completely transformed what I wanted from my career. As soon as I finished that programme, I realised I wanted to spend the next two years doing the Teach First programme.

Training with Teach First

I was placed in North West London and I taught science. I spent two years at my school on the Teach First programme and then I did an extra year at that school as the head of sixth form. And I had a fantastic time. It was during COVID, so it was really challenging. But I had a brilliant time. I learned so much.

That first year of teaching was the hardest thing I've ever done.

It challenged me in ways that I'd never been challenged before.

In my university work and in my career now, there's a lot of intellectual challenges. But when you're on the Teach First programme, you're not just tested in terms of IQ, but also in terms of EQ, your emotional intelligence.

From an IQ perspective, you need to think about: how you’re going to structure a lesson, how are you going to plan a lesson, how are you going to deliver content. But from an EQ perspective you need to think about: what has that child been through that day, how can I connect with this group of children and make them interested in science, how can I make them feel excited about their future.

Joining Deloitte

I decided to leave the classroom after that year of being a head of sixth form and joined Deloitte after doing a summer project in the firm.

There's lots I've taken forward from teaching, but emotional intelligence – that ability to have patience, empathy, and connect with people – has been really important in my career.

I’ve also carried forward practical skills like being organised, hitting deadlines, presenting and public speaking. These are all hugely important when you work in a field like consulting.

Changing lives outside the classroom

Teachers have an incredible impact and they absolutely change lives. But you can have an impact outside the classroom, and I've done as much as I can to extend that impact.

I help facilitate and support Teach First’s Summer Projects programme on behalf of Deloitte and I lead the Deloitte and Teach First Ambassador Network – a group of ex-Teach First teachers now working at the firm.

We've done a lot of mentoring in schools and academy trusts, and for teachers in terms of trustworthy AI and the use of AI in schools, using my day-to-day skills from my role in AI delivery and consulting.

I'm also a school governor of a school close by and, excitingly, I am in the process of starting Teach First in Sri Lanka, where I grew up.

Volunteering opportunities

Deloitte give us the privilege and opportunity to spend half a day a month working on a range of different volunteering opportunities.

Previously, I used it to volunteer at Deloitte partner school, St. Mary Magdalene Academy, running workshops with the kids, speaking about careers and science – all sorts of things really.

I've also really enjoyed being a school governor at Wembley Arc Academy for the last five years, where I was involved in the overall governance and strategic direction of the school.

Given my previous teaching experience and current role at Deloitte, I could be an effective governor and provide support to the school, teachers and pupils.

It’s been so enjoyable and so rewarding – I feel like I can bring a lot to that role.

AI expertise

After leaving teaching I started working in AI at Deloitte, building and delivering AI products that are responsible and trustworthy for clients in banking and different government departments. I started before the current wave of generative AI, so I’ve seen that process right from the beginning.

I ran the first session of the Teach First and Deloitte Trustworthy AI in Education pilot programme, introducing participants to trustworthy AI and AI in general. And I've been mentoring a few participants as they go through that adoption process and address different types of problems.

In some cases, it's addressing adoption, teacher literacy and understanding. In others, it's more around policy and guardrails, or working with a school that's looking to develop its own internal tools.

Working together to address inequality

I think partnerships like this are incredibly important. Two years ago, I had the opportunity to speak with Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach For All and Teach For America. She said something that stuck with me: educational inequality and the challenges facing the most disadvantaged children in society aren't going to be addressed and solved by one organisation.

Addressing educational inequality requires all parts of society to work together and shift the entire system.

The impact Teach First has had in addressing educational inequality, and the impact I've seen firsthand in the classroom, is no doubt supported by organisations like Deloitte.

If you believe that children should have equal opportunities regardless of the postcode they were born in, you can really have an impact.

Helping every child fulfil their potential

For 20 years, Deloitte and Teach First have helped young people believe in what’s possible. Read more stories involving colleagues, pupils and volunteers whose lives have been changed through the power of opportunity.

Read more about the partnership