A government education chief has praised a scheme to boost the performance of inner city schools in Bradford.

Schools Standards Minister Estelle Morris said she was delighted with the good progress made in Bradford under the multi-million pound Excellence in Cities programme.

But the news comes as a storm is brewing over the government's announcement that it will take failing schools out of local authority control.

The new City Academies scheme has been condemned by trade unions as a panic measure.

Speaking yesterday Ms Morris said Bradford and its partner Leeds in the EiC scheme had made "considerable progress".

The minister said the partners had established a number of important projects. These include the appointment of 107 learning mentors, City Learning Centres to be established at Carlton Bolling College and Greenhead Grammar, the twinning of secondary schools in Bradford and Leeds, plus numerous learning support units and small education action zones.

Meanwhile, Education Secretary David Blunkett has unveiled plans for City Academies to take over failing inner city schools.

The academies would be run by a partnership of businesses, voluntary and religious organisations. But Ian Murch, of the NUT, said it was a panic measure.

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