BRADFORD'S education system has been given a much needed boost after government inspectors praised the way many of the city's teachers are trained.

Ofsted inspectors have announced their latest verdict on Bradford College's teacher training provision after an inspection last month - deeming what the college offers as "good."

The inspection result comes just days before a Bradford Council scrutiny committee will discuss the previous year's school results, which showed that in subjects like reading and maths, Bradford had become one of the lowest performing areas in the country.

One of the actions the council has pledged to take is to improve the standard of teaching in the district.

The inspectors looked at the school's secondary teacher training in the inspection, over four days in May, visiting nine of the college's partner schools in the process.

The report says praises "good quality training and very effective support from college tutors and school based colleagues that ensure trainees become good or better teachers."

It adds: "Trainees' experience of teaching pupils with varying abilities and from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds enables them to develop their skills in meeting the needs of different groups of learners, particularly disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and pupils who speak English as an additional language."

The College is also praised for recruiting trainees from "under represented" groups.

Employment rates after training are described as "above average" with the report saying: "Many gain posts in local schools, successfully meeting recruitment needs in Bradford."

Areas the college needs to improve are being clearer in what trainees must do to improve their progress and "improving the small minority of mentoring that is not of high quality."

Dr Clive Opie, Dean of McMillan School of Teaching, Health and Care said: “I am especially delighted that the ITT [Initial Teaching Training] staff have been clearly recognised for their outstanding efforts in building close and collaborative partnerships.

"I would also like to take this opportunity to praise those the College has worked with as I feel they deserve as much recognition for the outcome. Ofsted noted the College’s proactive engagement with regional teaching school alliances to develop additional routes into teaching to help meet regional recruitment needs further.

"We will continue to support the work of the authority in tackling underachievement in the city’s schools. A breakdown of last year's Key Stage Two results show that gaps between Bradford and the national average are rising in the basic skills of maths and reading.

“I am proud of all our staff who gave unstintingly to working together with its communities to create a better future for all.”