Commenting as James Cleverly MP has been appointed Secretary of State for Education, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said:

"As always, school leaders will welcome a new Secretary of State to their post. I wish James Cleverly every success with his endeavours, he certainly has a packed inbox.

"I hope that we will soon have the clarity of a long-term Secretary of State who can set out a clear plan that deals with the issues, and then stays long enough to see that plan through.

"But I cannot help but reflect that Mr Cleverly is the 8^th secretary of state for education since 2010 and the fourth since the last election. Education is far too important to be subjected to such damaging levels of instability. Ofsted would take a very dim view of that level of leadership change in a school.

"The temporary nature of this caretaker cabinet will merely compound the uncertainty. This is simply not good enough. Children and young people deserve better."