Coming Back to Where it Began
Sagar's journey into further education teaching and leadership illustrates how personal experience, resilience, and values can shape a meaningful career.
"Teaching offered the chance to influence lives directly and meaningfully."
Sagar Patel, Deputy Principal
A shift in direction
My journey into teaching began through the Teach First programme in 2010. Although I originally planned a career in finance after studying economics at university, I quickly realised I was drawn to work that felt more directly aligned with my values.
Finding my place in further education
As a second-generation immigrant whose parents had not attended university, I was drawn to working with young people whose experiences reflected my own. Teaching offered exactly that: the chance to influence lives directly and meaningfully.
Working in inner-city London schools, I gravitated towards sixth-form learners. The 16 to 19 phase is a pivotal moment in a young person's life, and supporting them through it became something I felt deeply invested in. Since then, I have worked my way into leadership roles and now serve as a Deputy Principal at a sixth-form college.
A journey of continuity
The sixth-form college where I studied shaped my early aspirations. It was the first place I encountered a curriculum that reflected my background, in my A Level History course I was able to study about Indian independence to wider civil rights movements. My teachers challenged me, believed in me and widened my perspective.
Returning to that same college as a leader, carries a sense of continuity. I now walk the same corridors I once walked as a student, supporting young people to see the possibilities that once opened up for me.
Breaking barriers with confidence
Not all challenges have been visible. Mispronunciations of my name, assumptions about my identity and the self-doubt that comes from rarely seeing leaders who look like you can take a toll.
It took several attempts before I became an assistant principal. For many from underrepresented backgrounds, rejection can feel heavier. You question whether you belong.
What made the difference were leaders who recognised my potential early on. Their consistent, honest mentorship built my confidence and shaped my progression into leadership.
Creating inclusive cultures
Inclusivity, community and empowerment are central to our college's values, and I helped shape these. They reflect my own experience as a student and guide the culture I strive to build as a leader.
Students arrive with different starting points and personal circumstances. Our role is to remove barriers while maintaining high expectations.
Empathy and ambition go hand in hand. Learners may come from homes where English is not spoken, where there is no experience of further or higher education, or where studying quietly is difficult. I recognise these realities, but my responsibility is to understand them without allowing them to limit what students can achieve.
Improving futures
I am driven by the belief that a young person's future should not be shaped by their parents' socio-economic status. Further education allows us to widen opportunity in ways that are immediate and meaningful.
When we refine our curriculum, strengthen teaching quality or offer new subjects, we are directly shaping a young person's opportunities in life.
That responsibility is motivating, even on difficult days. Working with 16 to 19 year olds is a privilege. I see every day how the right support at the right moment can alter a student's trajectory.
Be confident, keep going and take the leap
Allow yourself the confidence to try, even when doubt is present. Progress is not always straightforward, but it is achievable.