Responding to the education secretary's speech on inclusivity in schools at the Confederation of School Trusts conference, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union, the NAHT said:

“Leaders and teachers work tirelessly to create inclusive environments. We want all children to attend and thrive at school.

"We cannot ignore the systemic drivers of low attendance. Increased levels of poverty and a decade of cuts to local support services have had a massive impact. It is right that we should also be asking big questions about whether our national curriculum and assessment system is inclusive for all pupils - including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs. Under the previous government this was ignored for too long and the current review provides an important opportunity to address this.  

“The secretary of state is absolutely right to say that for too long the system has focused on test and exam results being a simplistic measure of success for children, at the expense of other important aspects of young people’s lives and the work of schools. A recalibration of that would be welcome.

“It is right to talk about building an inclusive school system where every child feels valued and welcomed. To achieve this, the government will need to invest in schools so that they have the resources, capacity and tools they need to make sure every pupil’s needs can be met. Crucially, this also means every school having access to support services and specialists in a timely manner, particularly when pupils’ needs are more complex.”