In this episode of the SLT Podcast, we’re joined by Hussein, former assistant headteacher and founder of CAPE Mentors, for a powerful, unfiltered conversation about exclusion, behaviour, and the realities facing children pushed out of mainstream education.

Hussein shares his journey from the classroom to pupil referral units (PRUs) and into community-based mentoring, working directly with young people who are out of school, marginalised, or labelled as “challenging.” Together, we explore why behaviour is so often misunderstood, how unmet needs show up as disruption, and why systems frequently fail the very children who need the most support.

This episode goes beyond policy and theory. We talk honestly about:

• School exclusion and alternative provision

• PRUs and the limits of mainstream education

• Why behaviour systems fail when ego takes over

• Mentoring, routine, and trust as pathways back to education

• What real safeguarding looks like on the ground

Hussein’s approach is simple but demanding: do the work, show up consistently, and remove ego from the process.

This is an essential listen for teachers, school leaders, SEND professionals, parents, and anyone working with vulnerable young people.