Cabinet reshuffles might excite politics geeks and journalists, but educators throughout Worcester have had a familiar sinking feeling.

When erstwhile Education Secretary Justine Greening decided to resign instead of take the job as Welfare and Pensions Secretary offered to her by Prime Minister Theresa May, it meant there would be a new person in the job- the third Secretary of State in under four years, and the fourth since 2010.

And for a number of teachers in Worcester, Justine Greening was a well-regarded politician.

Neil Morris is head teacher at Christopher Whitehead Language College in St John’s. he said: “The new secretary will be the ninth that I’ve known in the fifteen years I’ve been head here, and Justine Greening was one of the better ones.

“She is one of very few to have been state-educated and she brought a different perspective to the job than many of her predecessors. She didn’t go in for the new policy every day that some of them did.”

Mr Morris’ kind words about Ms Greening, MP for Putney were echoed by Steve Powell, the headteacher at Nunnery Wood High School.

He said: “She did seem to have listened to the profession and to take a sensible view of things.

“I’m co0ncerned about Fair funding but also teacher recruitment; numbers of teacher training applications are down by about a third this year.”

Mr Powell expressed concern that there might be another reversal of policy under the new Secretary of State, Damian Hinds.

He said: “I just hope that there’s no resurrection of the Grammar Schools agenda that Justine Greening dampened down. They have their place, but expanding grammar schools is not something that’s needed.”

Mr Morris added: “What education needs is a bit of stability. I’m worried that with someone new in we might lurch to the left or the right, and that would be a mistake.”

Both heads said that funding for schools in Worcester was a massive issue. Mr Morris said: “We desperately need the funding crisis, and it is a crisis, sorted out.”

Mr Powell added: “We’ve had a budget cut by about 10 per cent over the last three years and that’s disastrous.”