Responding to Labour's plans for schools, which are being previewed today, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders' union NAHT, said:

"Schools are in the middle of a recruitment and retention crisis, so it is right that Labour should make this a high priority.

"The ambition for every class to be taught by a qualified teacher is also welcome - every parent should be able to expect that their child is taught by someone with the requisite expertise.

"Plans to improve early career training and ongoing professional development are sensible but Labour will need to be prepared to go further if they are to begin to solve the current crisis.

"We know that issues such as uncompetitive pay and a punitive inspection system are key factors in pushing people out of the profession, and it is only by tackling these that we will see teaching and school leadership become an attractive proposition once again.”

NAHT analysis has shown that almost a third (31%) of school leaders appointed under the age of 50 leave their posts within five years, more than half of whom (51%) quit state funded schools entirely.