Commenting as Lucy Powell is announced by Andy Burnham as the new Education Secretary, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“We congratulate Andy Burnham on becoming Prime Minister and congratulate Lucy Powell on her appointment as Education Secretary.

“It is clear that during Bridget Phillipson’s time at the helm of the Department for Education, considerable progress has been made.

“The education White Paper set a vision for education that we have not seen for well over a decade, and there has been some new funding for schools, improvements to pay, action on poverty, and a commitment to finally grasping the nettle and reforming the broken SEND system.

“Bridget has shown passion and commitment to schools, and while we thank her for her endeavours, we need the new government to commit to going further in ensuring schools are empowered and supported to deliver for pupils.

“Too many schools feel ill-equipped to go about their core business, let alone deliver changes to SEND support and the curriculum. They are still struggling to set budgets and recruit and retain teachers, large parts of the school estate remain in a poor condition, and a circuit-breaker to fundamentally reset Ofsted inspections, which continue to pose real dangers to the health and wellbeing of school leaders and their staff, is urgently needed.

“Addressing these things will need the buy-in of not just the education secretary but also the new PM and Chancellor. Amid so many competing demands, it’s absolutely vital that education is a top priority across government and receives the sustained investment it deserves, because little can be more important than children’s learning, wellbeing and life chances.”