GOVERNMENT inspectors say Bradford Council has been too slow in improving education standards in the district, but say a "new direction" taken by the authority is "a cause for optimism."

Ofsted inspectors visited Bradford in June to carry out their first review of the council's arrangements for supporting school improvement.

The report, which highlights failings around pupil attendance and an above average number of inadequate secondary schools, has been made public this morning.

Inspectors spoke with council staff, headteachers and governors from council-run schools and academies, as well as visiting eight schools. They also looked at school performance reports, league tables and school improvement strategies.

Despite the criticism in the report, the inspectors said head teachers and governors they spoke to saw there was a "step-change" happening in the council, and that all children in the district were "in the council's line of sight" whether they went to a council-run school or an academy.

Education leaders at the council told the Telegraph & Argus they recognised the issues raised in the report and were pleased inspectors supported their plans for improvement.

Suggestions for improvement made in the report include getting tougher on under performing schools by issuing warnings. It says the authority has previously depended too much on "informal, pre-warning notices."

The report says: "The local authority has been too slow in driving improvement in the attainment, progress and attendance of pupils and in narrowing the gaps between disadvantaged and other pupils across the district.

"Although rising, not enough children achieve a good level of development in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Too few pupils make good progress from their very low starting points on entry to Key Stage 1 to the end of their primary education. This is particularly true of disadvantaged pupils, disabled pupils or those with special education needs.

"The proportion of students gaining at least five good GCSEs at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics, by the end of Key Stage 4 fell significantly in 2014 to well below that found nationally.

"Attendance rates are below average and unauthorised absence rates are well above average. The majority of outcomes for pupils at Key Stages 2 and 4 place Bradford in the lowest ten per cent of local authorities nationally.

"Previous strategies and partnerships have been ineffective in improving the quality of school provision or preventing schools from deteriorating, particularly in the secondary sector. Consequently, too many pupils in Bradford attend schools that are not good; around a third of primary-aged pupils and well over half of secondary-aged pupils.

"Although the number of primary schools judged inadequate at the time of their Ofsted inspection is low, the proportion that requires improvement is twice the national average. Ten per cent of secondary schools are inadequate, which is well above the national average."

It adds: "There is a new direction in the local authority and a cause for optimism. Head teachers, governors and partners speak convincingly about a step-change in the authority’s approach and a new rigour and challenge to schools and partnerships.

"A strength identified in discussions throughout the inspection is the sense of urgency, purpose and commitment to driving improvement across all providers. Academy and free school leaders report that the local authority makes no distinction between academies and maintained schools and ‘all children are in the authority’s line of sight’, no matter what type of school they attend."

Councillor Susan Hinchliffe, the executive member for education on the council, said: "It recognises that improvement has not happened as fast as it should have, but the council has also recognised this.

"There is a new plan in place, it will take a lot of work but we have a clear plan of what needs to be done."

The council's strategic director for children's services Michael Jameson added: "We welcome the report, we have said previously that results are not good enough.

"The report recognises the improvement plan we've been developing the past year is the right approach. They recognise there is a step change to drive up standards."