Matching Tony Blair’s record of eight female MPs in top Government jobs, Mrs May promoted women including Ms Greening, Amber Rudd, the new Home Secretary, and Priti Patel, the International Development Secretary.

Backbenchers and ministers said that it shows Mrs May’s desire to make a clean break from the previous administration, led by David Cameron and George Osborne, and deliver on her pledge not to govern just for the privileged few”. One MP described it as a Cabinet of sheer talent”.

Mr Cameron’s 2015 Cabinet was 50 per cent privately educated. Just over 70 per cent of ministers in Sir John Major’s Cabinet went to independent schools and 91 per cent of Margaret Thatcher’s 1979 Cabinet were privately educated. Mrs May’s Cabinet has also fewer independently educated ministers than either those of Tony Blair or Gordon Brown.

That came after Mrs May on Wednesday evening sacked Mr Osborne as Chancellor, telling him he was not wanted in her new Government. On Thursday five more ministers, including Theresa Villiers and Greg Hands, were removed from the Cabinet during what was described as the Day of the Long Knives”, in reference to the Night of the Long Knives” in 1962, when Harold Macmillan dismissed seven members of his Cabinet.

It was her decision to create a Cabinet of predominantly state educated ministers that was seen as the most defining aspect of Mrs May’s first reshuffle.

Robert Halfon MP, one of the prime movers behind the blue collar Tory initiative, hailed Mrs May for appointing so many of her senior team with a background in state education. He said: Her Cabinet reflects her speech on the steps of Downing Street which is to be a Britain that works for everyone and real people that reflect Britain.”

In her first speech as Prime Minister on Wednesday, Mrs May vowed to fight against burning injustice” in Britain and build a country that works for everyone”. She said that her Government will no longer entrench the advantages of the fortunate few”.

Mr Cameron’s 2015 Cabinet was 43 per cent comprehensive educated. Just 21 per cent of his 2010 coalition administration was comprehensive-school educated.

However, Cabinet ministers are still over four times more likely to have gone to a fee-paying school for all or part of their secondary education than the general population, the Sutton Trust said.

Of the 27 ministers in Mrs May’s new Cabinet, 44 per cent went to Oxford or Cambridge universities.

This compares with 32 per cent of backbench Conservative MPs in the 2015 parliament, and 26 per cent of MPs from all parties. Half of the 2010 Coalition cabinet led by Mr Cameron was Oxbridge-educated.

Robert Buckland, the solicitor general who was state educated until the age of 11, said This is a brilliant reflection of today’s Conservative party. It is yet another endorsement of her strong belief in opportunity for all and succeeding on merit.”

Nadine Dorries, the Tory MP, tweeted her endorsement of Mrs May’s appointments:

Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: Anyone should be able to become a minister, regardless of social background. It is good to see so many more comprehensive and grammar educated Cabinet ministers, reflecting the schools attended by 90 per cent of children.”

The eight posts held by females in the new Cabinet include Mrs May herself. In Mr Cameron’s last Cabinet seven women held permanent positions, while a further three attended occasionally.

Ms Greening, who last month came out as a lesbian, was one of the most notable appointments, becoming Education Secretary and minister for equalities.

Mrs May also appointed Andrea Leadsom, her former leadership rival, to Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, a significant promotion for the pro-Brexit MP.

Amid the sackings, Mrs May decided to keep Jeremy Hunt as Health Secretary despite rumours that he was going to lose his job. David Lidington, the former Europe minister who spearheaded Mr Cameron’s failed campaign to keep Britain in the European Union, was also promoted to Leader of the House of Commons in the reshuffle.

Mrs May also appointed a number of allies to senior roles. Damian Green, a contemporary of Mrs May’s at Oxford University, was made Work and Pensions Secretary.

Karen Bradley, a former minister in the Home Office under Mrs May, was made Culture Secretary.

Greg Clark was appointed to the new role of Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, while his old role at the head of the Department for Communities and Local Government went to former business secretary Sajid Javid, in an effective job-swap.

David Mundell, the only Conservative MP north of the border, retained his position as Scotland Secretary. Mrs May’s new Cabinet will officially meet for the first time next week.

The Prime Minister’s official spokeswoman said the reshuffle shows her administration is hitting the ground running” and that social reform is at the heart of the Government”.

Mrs May on Thursday night unveiled details of her team of special advisers.

Two long term aides – Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy – were appointed joint chiefs of staff.  John Godfrey is the new director of policy and Katie Perrior is director of communications.