Commenting as the Welsh Conservatives release their education priorities ahead of their conference in Llangollen today, Laura Doel, national secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT Cymru, said:

“The Welsh Conservatives’ priorities read more like tabloid headlines than carefully considered policies for improving children’s education. They are completely out of touch with reality and with the true challenges facing schools.

“There is no need to ‘bring back home economics’, as we already have it as a subject. There is no need to ban mobile phones, as the vast majority of schools already do so or have a policy on phone usage in school that works for them and their community.

“There is no need for academies. Changing the name above a school doesn't change the quality of teaching or experience of the pupils in it. At a time when the government in England is acknowledging that schools can successfully have a variety of structures, this is a backwards-looking policy.

“And the delusion that all children bring weapons into school is just jumping on the bandwagon of an incident without understanding the context.

“The priorities of our members – thousands of hard working school leaders across Wales – are funding, the recruitment and retention of teachers, ALN reform, conditions of service for teachers and leaders, and support for small schools.

“We’re very happy to share our members’ experiences with the Welsh Conservatives to inform their policies if they care to listen.”