Bradford's top education boss has quit on the day that new results for 14-year-olds showed the district is among the bottom education authorities in the country.

Education Bradford's managing director Mark Pattison has resigned to take up a newly-formed position as the chief executive in charge of national education strategies.

Mr Pattison, who was at the helm of the private firm running the district's schools for the past three years, admitted to head teachers in an e-mail that the timing of his announcement was not ideal.

But he said he could not turn down the opportunity.

In his new role, Mr Pattison will be in charge of the primary and key stage three numeracy and literacy strategies for Capita Strategic Education Services, the private firm which will work for the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).

He hailed his new role as a great opportunity.

"My immediate priorities will be to listen to the views of all concerned with the strategies; to maintain the focus on outcomes for young people and on teaching, learning and leadership; to strengthen the role of the national strategies in supporting personalised learning," he said.

His departure comes just before Education Bradford's latest Ofsted report which is expected in the next few weeks.

In 2001, Bradford education authority received a damning Ofsted report when inspectors found it was failing. The authority was ranked 140th out of 150 LEAs for its performance at GCSE level.

Following a vote of no confidence, multinational Serco won the ten-year contract to run the district's schools and set up Education Bradford.

But, in January this year, new GCSE tables showed Bradford had again slipped back to 140th position while the district also had ten schools among the country's worst for unauthorised attendance.

An Education Bradford spokesman said Trevor Edinborough would lead the management team and ensure a smooth transition until a permanent replacement was found.

A recruitment advert will be placed in the Times Educational Supplement tomorrow.

Bradford Council leader Councillor Margaret Eaton said: "I would like to congratulate Mark Pattison on his appointment.

"I am sure he will be successful in his new post. Mark has done an outstanding job at Education Bradford."

Councillor Phil Thornton, chairman of Bradford Council's Young People and Education Improvement Committee, said he was surprised to hear of Mr Pattison's departure.

"This is a crucial time for Education Bradford ... I'm disappointed he's leaving and I thought he would have shown a bit more commitment."