Why was James Smith expelled from sixth form, and what did his mum do next?

James Smith said he scraped into sixth form with four GCSEs instead of the required five, on condition of good behaviour. Weeks later his head of year caught him smoking backstage in the drama hall and pushing a friend off the stage on a wheeled sofa. The school offered a choice between formal expulsion and taking him out that day. His mother drove him straight to Bracknell job centre and told him not to come home without a job, and he talked his way onto a BTEC in sport instead.

• Smith took the BTEC at Berkshire College of Agriculture, where he played rugby and got on well with lecturers.
• Smith later topped up to a foundation degree and a final year at Hartpury, which he did not complete.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Modern Wisdom (2026-10-31). Read the whole episode summary →

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