AN INFLUENTIAL Bradford councillor has issued a personal apology to children failed by the city's education system following a report by an independent expert which demanded a catalogue of improvements.

Bradford Council's children's services department called in nationally respected expert Prof David Woods CBE after disappointing exam results this summer and he made 17 recommendations for change.

His findings have been accepted by the council's high ranking education officers and work has already started to act of his suggestions.

The report went before the council's Children's Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee last night and its chairman, Councillor Malcolm Sykes, made his own apology and called for all those involved to "grasp the nettle" and take action needed to improve standards, which have deteriorated recently in some areas.

Cllr Sykes told the meeting: "No-one has actually said sorry. We have a significant number of children in our district who have been let down.

"I apologise unreservedly if I have not placed in front of you agendas which are not more rigorous and more robust.

"The difference we were seeking to make has clearly not happened. Perhaps a more brutal approach to ongoing failure should have been evident."

Despite the criticisms from Prof Woods, there were areas of success in Bradford: "There is success across the city, significant success," he said.

"So why is it proving impossible to harness that good practice?

"I am giving you a promise: I will be more relentless. We cannot be doing enough. Everyone involved has to look at themselves and decide to do better.

"We have to grasp the nettle, stop the excuses and get on with the task. Enough is enough, the children deserve better.

"The fight is on and we cannot afford to let down the children of Bradford," he said.

The meeting was told that when children leave primary school in Bradford they are within nine per cent of national average attainment levels, but that gap widens significantly as they move through secondary education.

Council officers who attended the meeting accepted that Bradford had failed to make adequate progress with educational achievement for many years.

When compared to local authorities with similar backgrounds and issues, Bradford's performance had been poor.

The decision was taken this summer to call in Prof Woods to give an external opinion of the city's performance.

He spent two days examining the city's circumstances in September and produced the report, at a cost of almost £3,000.

Councillors on the committee were told he has now agreed to act as a consultant for one day a month in the 12 months ahead and Cllr Sykes asked whether it was possible for Prof Woods to attend a forthcoming meeting of the committee to advise on how they might be able to achieve better results.

The committee agreed to take future updates on progress with implementing the recommendations.

They have also asked councillors to find a way of involving young people in the scrutiny process in future.

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