Teachers who have left the profession should be coaxed back to help pupils during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Labour.

Rebecca Long-Bailey welcomed the government’s mooted summer catch-up programme but pressed education secretary Gavin Williamson to develop a national plan for education, in which schools receive additional resources to help disadvantaged children and public buildings are used for socially distanced teaching.

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After former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron suggested the government should fund additional teaching assistants, the shadow education secretary replied: “Certainly what I’d like the government to look at is sourcing these additional teachers, and certainly looking at qualified teachers who have left the profession is one avenue in terms of encouraging them to return to support pupils.”

Conservative MP Jonathan Gullis, intervening, said: “As a former qualified teacher before entering this House, I’d be more than delighted to return to the front line to help in any way I can.

“Rather than spend more money on Portakabins and using buildings, would it not be better - knowing that the science says children are more likely to be hit by lightning than tragically pass away from Covid-19 - we get all children back into the classroom, in September, in their school buildings where we know they’re safest?”

Ms Long-Bailey said Mr Williamson had his “first volunteer” in providing targeted tuition to pupils, adding “safety has to be the number one priority” in fully reopening schools.