I started my working life in the civil service and in tax practice, but chose a career in primary school teaching. West Yorkshire is a very ethnically diverse place, but many of its urban areas consist of little pockets that are home to different communities who often know little of each other. I became very interested in how I could help the children in my school prepare to become active citizens. In particular, I was very keen to find out how the education system in the USA supported children from migrant communities.

My Fellowship work took place in New York, and was well supported by the academic staff of Columbia University and the City University of New York, together with the teaching staff of a number of schools in Brooklyn and Queens.

On my return, I took on a leadership role at a school with a very strong Islamic presence and a limited curriculum. I was also seconded to the leadership team of similar schools. Over the last ten years, my school and its local community have become much more outward facing thanks in large part to contributions I was able to make to its policy and practice, using what I'd learned during my Fellowship.