Steve graduated from Wolfson College in 1993 in Chemical Engineering, having previously worked in retail furnishing, yacht brokerage and in boat deliveries. Having completed a first degree, he installed data cabling in London business premises. He then spent a year or two of alternative lifestyle in Cumbria and in Sutherland.
In 2001, Steve trained to be a maths teacher and taught in state schools in Lincolnshire. In 2010, he began a PhD in mathematics education focussing on teachers, professional learning. In 2013, he took up a post in the Faculty of Education.