Teach First has hailed a near-doubling in the LGBT teachers within its intake as "a sign of positive progress within schools".

The teacher trainer says the proportion of new teachers who identify as LGBT in its cohort has increased from 5 per cent of those who started in classrooms in 2014 to 9 per cent who began at the beginning of this school year in September 2017.

In total, Teach First recruits around 1,400 teachers each year.

Teach First said the increase was a "sign of positive progress within schools", and that "all schools should be creating a welcoming and accepting environment for LGBT teachers".

According to the charity Stonewall, anti-LGBT bullying and language have decreased across Britain's schools, but almost half of all pupils still face bullying at school.

Teach First said that at a time when schools need to recruit more teachers, "removing barriers for any group" was a "positive step", and that LGBT teachers could help "drive acceptance in schools". Read more via TES