Nick Gibb has retained his job as schools minister at the Department for Education as Theresa May reshuffled the lower ranks of her government.

His re-appointment will be seen as a sign of continuity at the DfE, after Justine Greening remained as education secretary.

Mr Gibb first joined the DfE in 2010 before being sacked by David Cameron in 2012, and was brought back in July 2014, in the same reshuffle that saw Michael Gove was removed as secretary of state.

Mr Gibb was closely linked to Mr Gove’s reforms to introduce a more traditionalist national curriculum, and has championed the use of phonics to teach reading.

He has often been a controversial figure, and in February he acknowledged that last summer’s tougher Sats tests did not go as “smoothly” as he had hoped.

Two ministers have left the department: Edward Timpson, who lost his seat in the general election, and apprenticeships and skills minister Robert Halfon, who Theresa May this evening sacked.

Two new ministers have been confirmed as Anne Milton and Robert Goodwill, although their portfolios have yet to be announced.