Blowing up the PX Pipeline with Stephen Steinhaus (#351)

What if the one thing standing between a child and a lifetime of struggle is simply which adult happened to notice them today? Turning down a pro wrestling contract to study Shakespeare isn't the usual route into running a multi-academy trust but nothing about Stephen Steinhaus's journey has followed the usual route, and that's exactly why this conversation is so good. Stephen is co-founder and CEO of the Solihull AP Multi-Academy Trust, and on this episode he sits down with us to talk about what actually gets him up in the morning: a genuine, fired-up belief that permanent exclusion isn't inevitable, and that every single person in a school - from the cleaner to the CEO - has the power to change a child's trajectory. From Chicago Bears fandom to Falstaff, from a heritage archive project that changed his career to the hard truths about what happens to kids after they're permanently excluded, this one covers a lot of ground. And yes, there's a quick fire round at the end. Yes, he smashes it. We cover: - Stephen's route from American football and professional wrestling to Shakespeare scholarship and teaching - How a heritage archive project called "Other People's Children" reshaped his whole approach to education - The real statistics behind permanent exclusion in the UK and why they should make you angry - Why "alternative provision" should really just be called "provision" - The JFK/NASA mindset - why every role in a school, not just teachers, is a difference-maker - Rethinking behaviour policies: culture, language, and moving away from a punishment-first mindset - Practical starting points for anyone dealing with complex behaviour in mainstream, AP or special setting Chapters 00:00 Highlights 01:33 Welcome to the podcast (and Ben's brand new overshirt) 02:50 Meet Stephen Steinhaus 03:55 From Chicago to Solihull: building an AP trust 08:03 Turning down a wrestling contract to study Shakespeare 18:15 How Shakespeare led to alternative provision 23:14 The "Other People's Children" project that changed everything 29:20 The truth about permanent exclusion 39:33 Every role matters: the JFK/NASA mindset 50:51 Rethinking behaviour: culture, language and leadership 59:09 Quick Fire Questions Find out more about Stephen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-steinhaus-9374778/ Read his Let’s tackle the SEND exclusion crisis one child at a time article: https://www.schoolmanagementplus.com/send/lets-tackle-the-send-exclusion-crisis-one-child-at-a-time/?swcfpc=1 Thanks so much for joining us again for another episode - we appreciate you. Ben & Steve x Check out all about Edufuturists at https://www.edufuturists.com Want to sponsor future episodes or get involved with the Edufuturists work? Get in touch: info@edufuturists.com Grab your copy of the new Pick 'n' Mix Education book at: https://www.crownhouse.co.uk/picknmix-education