The Masters in Teaching and Learning (MTL) degree will be offered for free to all teachers under £30m scheme.

Up to 5,000 newly qualified teachers are to be offered the chance to study for a new master's degree in a bid to boost teaching standards in the classroom.

The initiative is the first phase of a scheme under which the new course is eventually expected to be offered free to all new teachers.

Under the first stage, priority will be given to teachers in ‘challenging schools’ in disadvantaged areas, including those on the government’s list of more than 400 failing to get 30 per cent of their pupils to achieve A* to C grade passes in Maths and English at GCSE.

The scheme costs £30m and teachers will be given five years to complete the course, although most are expected to finish in three. They will begin by learning to improve teaching methods and curriculum design, as well as studying child development and behavioural management.

The Training and Development Agency for schools has been charged with making the MTL work, it hopes that the MTL will be a means of extra support through the tough early years of teaching rather than a burden of extra work.