As Liz Truss is today announced as the country’s next Prime Minister, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“The cost-of-living crisis gripping the nation will clearly be at the very top of the new Prime Minister’s in-tray. Households are eagerly awaiting her promised announcement of support for energy costs this week, but so far nothing has been said about help for schools, who do not even have a cap to their energy bills.

“It is vital that any action taken to address inflated household energy prices must also apply to schools.

“Our members are reporting new energy bills of hundreds of thousands of pounds – more than 300% increases in many cases. These and other rising costs were not budgeted for when the government set schools’ funding for the year, and school leaders are finding it hard to see how they will make ends meet. Certainly there will be significant cuts that have to be made. Already many schools have had to reduce the hours and numbers of Teaching Assistants, something that will directly impact children in the classroom, especially those with the highest needs.

“Parents will be expecting the new Prime Minister to set out a clear plan to protect education in the face of these financial pressures. Of all the issues awaiting the Prime Minister’s attention, the welfare and education of children and young people has to be one of the most important.”