Bradford Council is to bring in a private company to run the district's schools, the Telegraph & Argus can exclusively reveal.

In a radical move even more significant than the schools reorganisation, the Council is to create a public-private partnership - believed to be the first of its kind in the country - to oversee the provision of education.

A board made up of teachers, members of the public, parents, church representatives and business leaders - headed by a national educational specialist - will oversee the private company's performance. The Council would take largely a back seat, with only two leading councillors - probably the Council leader and the Executive Member for Education - on the board which could be set up within year.

The shock move comes just weeks before the Government's education watchdog Ofsted is set to deliver what is believed to be a damning indictment of the way schools are run across the district.

The object of the radical scheme is to shake-up the provision of education across the whole district and provide the best possible schooling for the area's youngsters.

The board would set the agenda for the revolutionary shake-up and monitor its progress.

It could also offer to relieve head teachers of some of the onerous paperwork they face - allowing them to get back into the classroom.

The Council would be left to maintain and control the buildings and their fixtures and fittings.

Education minister Estelle Morris and her officials have been in lengthy discussions with the Council and are thought to be highly enthusiastic about the scheme.

It is set to be put before the Council's powerful Executive Committee for approval next week, although the ruling Labour Group has already given its approval at a behind-closed-doors meeting.

If approved the Council will begin to prepare a contract and draw up a detailed model.

More than 100 head teachers have already been informed of the radical plans in a secret meeting - but the Council's own education officers and teaching unions were only being briefed about the plans today by Bradford Council's Chief Executive Ian Stewart.

But union officials said it came as a bombshell and they had had no inkling that talks were going on.

The Council's Tory and Liberal Democrat groups also hit out angrily about secret dealings.

The move comes at the height of the massive schools reorganisation, switching from three to two tier schools - ending middle schools in the district.

Both drastic measures are aimed at forcing school achievements up from around the bottom of the national league tables.

Mr Stewart told the T&A: "We have some very good inner city schools in Bradford, but we want every school in the district to be as good as the best."

Leader Councillor Ian Greenwood said it was vital for the Council to look at new ways of working, and use all the expertise of the various organisations with an interest in schools.

"We have to look seriously at how we are educating our young people and ask ourselves if we are providing value for money and the standards of education they deserve.

"Through working in partnership with others we will be able to ensure that no young person leaves school without reaching their own individual potential."

Coun Greenwood said the aim was also to produce a "seamless" education for pupils, covering transition to schools, colleges and employment.

"We want to create a situation where the whole of the district owns and feels responsible for the education system. The stake-holders would have more influence than they have ever had before."

He said the move was not privatisation but was about providing facilities which could include a whole range of facilities, including information technology.

The private partners may supply management services to remove the burden from head teachers and enable them to get back more into the front line in the classroom.

Coun Greenwood said the jobs of teachers would be unaffected because their contracts were with schools.

He did not anticipate any redundancies among Local Education Authority staff who were likely to be employed by the partnership.

Coun Greenwood said any efficiency savings made as a result of the partnership would be ploughed back into education.

The LEA would retain some of its existing functions, including school inspections

Meanwhile, a private consultant is working with Leeds Council and the DfEE with a view to setting up a partnership following a damning Ofsted report on the city's schools.

Mr Stewart said Bradford's proposal had nothing to do with its Ofsted report, which is due to be published next month, and he did not know what it contained .

T&A Opinion

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