Top-level graduates straight from university are transforming tough inner-city schools under a radical programme imported from America, Ofsted has found.

Teach First targets high-achieving students who had not considered teaching and places them in some of England’s most challenging schools for two years.

In its first review of the scheme, the schools regulator said that trainees had “a notable impact in transforming underperforming departments”, and had raised the aspirations of older staff. It adds: “At least one of the schools attributed a rapid improvement in its standards almost entirely to the contribution of Teach First participants.”

The programme taps the talents of highly motivated graduates from leading universities. It is marketed as a fast-track route to leadership in the management careers that many would otherwise have entered straight from university.

Graduates qualify as teachers after one year and spend the second in a different school. But at the end of the scheme, Ofsted found half of the intake decided to remain in teaching.

Inspectors looked at 210 participants in 70 schools across London. Their report said: “Although trainees found their immersion into teaching exceptionally challenging, around a half achieved the standards for qualified teacher status to an outstanding level. Four of the trainees were judged by inspectors to be among the most exceptional produced by any teacher training route.

“Most schools were open to trainees’ ideas for improvement and gave them leeway to implement changes.

“The programme attracted applicants who would not otherwise have considered teaching. Although not a requirement, around a half have continued into a third year of teaching.”

Trainees attend a residential course lasting six weeks before starting to teach. They learn on the job, with a senior member of staff assigned as mentor and regular visits from tutors at Canterbury Christ Church University, which runs the course.

The report said there were weaknesses in training at some schools that left graduates without enough support. “Despite their very strong personal and academic qualities, trainees found their immersion into teaching exceptionally challenging.

“Half of the trainees were only satisfactory at managing pupils’ behaviour. This aspect of their teaching could have been improved with more training from an early stage.”

Many immersed themselves in the school. One trainee established a science club, arranged trips to the Science Museum and created a girls football team. Others came up with innovative ideas such as setting up a small farm in the school grounds or introducing a reward currency for good work that could be exchanged for the use of IT facilities at lunchtime.

Graduates who use the normal route to enrol on teaching courses have lower degree classifications than average. Experts want the new programme to raise the calibre of teaching recruits. Writing in The Times two weeks ago, Lord Adonis, the Schools Minister, said he wanted Teach First to become one of the main entry routes into the teaching profession.

He said that teaching should be the career of choice for a large proportion of the country’s best graduates for at least a few years after university.

The programme was inspired by a similar scheme in the United States called Teach for America, which has been running since 1990. Teach First is funded by charitable sources, the Government and big businesses such as Deloitte and HSBC. A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said: “The programme is producing exceptional trainees.”

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