A HUNDRED new trainee teachers have been recruited as part of a partnership to improve education standards in Bradford.

St Edmund's Nursery and Children's Centre, in Girlington, is the lead school of an alliance of nursery, primary, secondary and special schools.

The alliance allows new teachers to train on the job, and yesterday saw their training programme officially launched.

The "birth to 19" teaching alliance started at the school last year, and the goal was that by September 100 primary school and early years teachers would be ready to start on the unique training course. That target has already been met, and yesterday many of the teachers who start their training in September met for an event to mark the next stage of the scheme. It was held at Bradford Academy, as St Edmund's could not fit the scores of teachers expected to attend.

Rather than train in a college setting, taught by former teachers, the new trainees will learn on the job from high-quality teachers who work in schools every day, and are familiar with the day to day issues facing the district's schools. Research is also being done to identify the most effective teaching methods.

Christian Bunting, head of Teaching Schools in Bradford, said: "The idea of the day is to get them excited about the prospect of making a difference in Bradford.

"This training is the starting point of a career in teaching, which can make a lifetime of difference to the children of Bradford.

"It was a tremendously positive day. There were trainees of all ages, all ethnicities and a good mix of male and female. These trainees are going to be working with the best schools and have the best teachers in Bradford mentoring them."

The partnership is part of a push by Bradford Council to improve education standards in the district, partly by training outstanding teachers and future school leaders. The council is aiming for every school in the district to be rated as good or outstanding by 2017.

The alliance is made up of dozens of primary and secondary schools, as well as Sheffield Hallam University, free schools and academies, nurseries and special schools. It is one of the country's largest collaborations of schools, and it is hoped that eventually every school in Bradford will be involved.

Only schools judged as outstanding by Ofsted can become teaching schools, and earlier this year St Edmunds achieved that rating for the third time.

The partnership also allows teachers to be sent to struggling schools, and successful schools to offer sport to improve less successful ones.

Yesterday's event featured motivational speakers and the opportunity for the trainees to meet with other teachers.

Around 90 per cent of the teachers starting in September are from the Bradford area.