A project formed to boost results in 20 schools in south Bradford will have its funding cut drastically in 2005.

Funding for the South Bradford Education Action Zone runs out in December 2004. But the new director is hoping it can continue in scaled-down form.

Catherine Gaddes, pictured, who has taken over at the helm of the EAZ, says one of her main tasks is to submit a Government bid to continue the life of the project beyond 2004.

Education Action Zones were originally set up to boost educational standards in underprivileged areas. But larger zones like Bradford's have fallen out of favour with the Government and ministers want them to 'transform' into smaller Excellence in Cities Action Zones.

Instead of having £1 million per year to spend, the smaller zones would only have £300,000.

Ms Gaddes said: "We can't change the world on £300,000 per year. We will have to focus on two or three priority areas where we can make a difference with this much more limited funding."

Concern has been expressed in the past about a lack of communication between the education action zone and the local education authority.

In September the zone is moving its headquarters to Future House which is the new home of Education Bradford in Bolling Road.

Ms Gaddes said: "We will physically be on the same floor so if that doesn't improve communications I don't know what will."

She said the advantage of becoming a smaller Excellence in Cities zone is that a lot of red tape can be ditched - which will come as a relief to schools.

At the moment most of the zone's funding is given to schools to run a host of educational projects including the employment of learning mentors as extra classroom helpers and projects to assist parents and draw them into their children's learning.

Research is being conducted to try to demonstrate how the Education Action Zone has succeeded in raising attainment in local schools, added Ms Gaddes.

The 39-year-old has come to Bradford from Leeds where she was director of a smaller education action zone covering ten schools, and takes over from Bernard Dady who is now working for Education Bradford.