NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman used his closing speech at this year's annual conference to pay tribute to the 'extraordinary professionals responding to unprecedented times'.

In a heartfelt and wide-ranging address, Whiteman continued his praise of school leaders, saying they had 'moved mountains in mere moments' and reminded them that 'the nation respects you and NAHT will not stop until policy makers make the right decisions. No government will ever get it right if it ignores you'

The general secretary's speech also addressed the extent to which the government has tried to shift the blame for its own failings onto schools and families, saying: “The biggest insult is the government’s decision to invoke the temporary continuity order. These are nothing more than tissue thin, meaningless powers, with politicians talking tough in the face of their own failure. It is another attempt to shift the blame.”

You can watch the video of Paul Whiteman's full speech above.

First published Friday, October 9, 2020