Commenting on the appointment of Gillian Keegan MP as Secretary of State for Education, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said:

“We welcome Gillian Keegan MP as the new Secretary of State for Education.

“She becomes the ninth Secretary of State for Education this decade, and the fifth this year.

“Education is far too important to be subjected to such damaging levels of instability. The challenges facing schools are urgent and are affecting the lives and life-chances of millions of children, right now.

“Recent analysis shows that this government is due to fall around £2billion short of its education funding pledge. With the ‘Halloween Budget’ looming – and further cuts implied by new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – the new Education Secretary has just days to get to grips with the reality of the situation facing schools, listen to the profession, and make a compelling case to the Treasury for the funding so urgently needed.

“School leaders will be hopeful that in Gillian Keegan we might now finally have an Education Secretary who understands that education should be seen not as a drain on the nation’s finances, but as the best investment that can be made in our country’s future – and who stays the course to the next election to make education a priority for this government again.”