Four inner-city schools have already signed up to the scheme, which aims to put top-flight graduates into secondaries which have difficulty attracting teaching staff.

The idea is to entice high-calibre graduates into the profession by effectively teaching them on the job, while also giving inner-city schools a chance to recruit potential top-class teachers, inspiring pupils and raising attainment levels.

The initiative, run by charity Teach First, has already been successfully implemented in other parts of the country. It is being expanded this year, giving Sheffield a first chance to take advantage of the programme.

The move has been given overwhelming support by council leaders.

Coun Andrew Sangar, cabinet member for children's services, said: "One of our key priorities is to raise attainment and aspiration in our young people and schemes like this will only serve to make this happen.

"We need to get high-quality graduates into teaching and this is a direct way of us doing so and one which I am very happy to support."

Teach First takes highly-qualified graduates from some of the country's most prestigious universities and signs them up for a minimum of two years to teach children in disadvantaged areas. Alongside this work-based training, supported by a regional consortium of universities, they also undergo leadership development tuition.

One of the Sheffield schools which is supporting the programme is Firth Park Community Arts College, where two new recruits will start in September, teaching maths and history.

Head teacher Mo Laycock said: "There is a real difference between teaching in a leafy suburb where children expect to go on to university and teaching in an inner-city school.

"It is a challenge to attract the best staff and it can be a hard battle to raise pupils' attainment levels. We hope this will not only inspire our pupils to go on to achieve great things, but also help boost the fantastic staff we already have."

Teach First's Yorkshire director, Lis Roberts, said 50 graduates had been recruited for the region.

"Schools come to us with their vacancies and we match them up with the students. We have placed about 40 so far, and they will start at their schools in September.

"We have a very rigorous selection process and we assess applicants on core competencies such as resilience, empathy and respect, as well academic ability.

"We're delighted to be able to extend what has been a very successful model into Sheffield and to be supporting local schools in their efforts to raise the aspirations and achievement of pupils."

Teach First is currently seeking positions for teachers in science, citizenship and history. Schools interested in recruiting through the scheme should email lroberts@teachfirst.org.uk.

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