Kiran began her career in inner-city London, as an English teacher in schools serving the most deprived postcodes in the country. After five years on the frontline, Kiran left to work in education policy, searching for solutions to the rising number of children who fall through the gaps. Kiran was working for Alan Milburn and Gillian Shepherd at The Social Mobility Commission when she conceived the idea for The Difference. She has led its work since January 2017.
The Difference works to reduce and disrupt the patterns of vulnerable children missing learning, through absence and exclusion. We do this through supporting the expertise of school leaders; and changing incentives around those leaders. To date, our sector-leading Programmes Team have supported hundreds of schools in raising teacher confidence in de-escalating challenging behaviour; and measurably improving whole-school inclusion.
Kiran is driven by insight from her own family, of adoption and surviving childhood abuse. As she became a teacher, Kiran could see the long-term effects of early trauma playing out in her family’s lives; and the challenges between school, home and society in supporting adolescents experiencing safeguarding and mental health crises. This insight is what keeps Kiran striving for children in times of vulnerability getting the education they deserve.You can find out more about Kiran and what drove her to set up The Difference in this
BBC Podcast and
Guardian interview.
