A CRITICAL report which said Bradford Council was "too slow" improving the district's schools will be discussed by a panel of councillors this week.

The Ofsted report into the authority's school improvement services was released last week.

It criticised the current state of education in Bradford, but said there were "signs of optimism" and endorsed the council's latest measures to turn around performance.

Councillors will get their first chance to discuss the report at the Children's Services Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday.

The inspection took place between June 15 and 19 and involved inspectors speaking with local authority staff, head teachers 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.

The scrutiny committee, made up of members of different political parties, will discuss the findings of the report and their reaction to them.

They are likely to suggest that the councils' children's services department report back to them in six months to discuss the progress they have made in dealing with issues raised by inspectors.

The report said: "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."

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."

After the release of the report, local MPs told the Telegraph & Argus they would call for emergency talks with Secretary of State for Education Nicky Morgan to discuss how school performance in Bradford can be improved.

It is thought these talks will happen after Parliament returns from its summer recess.

Ian Murch, Bradford representative for the National Union of Teachers, said the council would also be in the firing line for its recent primary school results. Bradford was sixth from the bottom of league tables when it came to pupils' achievement in reading, writing and maths results.

He said: "The Ofsted report was predictable. The government will be asking for answers about school standards, but it gets harder and harder for the council to answer these questions when so many schools are under academy control and not council control."

The scrutiny committee will meet in Committee Room One of City Hall on Wednesday at 4.30pm.