Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the school leaders’ union NAHT said: “The measures set out in the Children's Wellbeing Bill are largely sensible and welcome. After several aborted attempts at education bills over the last decade, it is good to see the government is not just starting to restore education as a national priority, but also focusing on a number of very practical, specific policies – many of which we have long called for.

“We have been clear about the need for a register of children not in school, which is vital to help services including schools ensure pupils stay safe and are not lost outside the system meaning they miss out on the education they need. Teachers and leaders will be relieved that a government is finally taking action on this.

“The legislation to ensure any new teacher has or is working towards qualified teaching status will put an end to the degradation of the profession that happened under the last administration and helps signal a clear reset of the government’s relationship with the profession.

“Greater consistency between academies and maintained schools is also long overdue, and it makes sense that all schools are expected to teach the national curriculum. We welcome the move to inspect multi-academy trusts, particularly given the increasingly prominent role they now play within the system. Of course, all inspections should be fair, proportionate and humane and we look forward to working with the government as they develop this policy.

“We stand ready to open dialogue with the new government to understand how the new requirement for all schools to provide breakfast clubs will work in practice. It is important the government understands that there are many different ways to ensure children who need it can access before-school provision, including local partnerships and the utilisation of existing childcare providers. It goes without saying that such provision will need to be adequately funded, with a particular focus on staffing costs."