Head teachers have called for a summit meeting to discuss their fears that education is being side-lined in a sweeping shake-up of council top brass.

Richard Moore, head teacher of Queensbury Upper School and convenor of the Bradford Upper School Heads group, said his colleagues were deeply concerned about plans to replace the Strategic Director of Education with a lower grade Director of Schools.

"There is a quite a lot of anxiety about the whole thing," said Mr Moore.

"This is the most eventful year in the history of education in Bradford and it looks like we will be without a strategic director from the middle of the year onward."

Mr Moore said head teachers would be meeting with Bradford Council Chief Executive Ian Stewart in the next few weeks to express their concerns.

Neil Donkin, head teacher of Eccleshill Upper School, said it was vital the Council appointed someone with an overview of education if promised improvements were to be delivered.

"We need someone who will speak up for education in Bradford."

The issue revolves around proposals, unveiled in the Telegraph & Argus on Saturday, to reorganise the top echelon of council officers in the district.

It will mean all 30 staff at assistant director level or above will have to apply for just 20 jobs.

As part of the plan, some responsibilities currently held by Diana Cavanagh, the Strategic Director of Education, will shift to the more junior Director of Schools.

"There is more to education than schools," said the Liberal Democrat spokesman on Education, Councillor David Ward.

"Education accounts for 60 per cent of the total Council budget and schools account for most of the education budget.

"But if this goes ahead, schools will just be the responsibility of one of 17 directors."

Councillor Dale Smith, the Conservative group spokesman for Education, said it was sending out all the wrong signals.

"The whole proposal has been ill-thought out and ill-considered.

"It certainly seems to sideline education and that is what many people will be thinking."

The leader of Bradford Council, Councillor Ian Greenwood, said the controlling Labour group was dedicated to improving academic standards in Bradford.

Proposals to reform the top tier of management were up for discussion, he said.

"This is a consultation and we want people to comment and tell us what they think. We would be pleased to hear from anybody who has a view."

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