A survey of Bradford headteachers has found half of them do not think the district's privatised education service can raise standards before 2006.

The study, which was carried out by Bradford's Labour group, has been criticised by education chiefs and teachers for being five months out of date.

It comes on the day Bradford headteachers say they plan to create a job for an education tsar who will raise standards and allow heads to concentrate on teaching.

John Patterson, head at Bingley Grammar and a member of the executive of Bradford Secondary Heads, said the teacher chosen for the post would attend meetings with partner groups and assist in the sharing of best practices among schools.

He said: "There is some outstanding practice in some of the most challenging schools and all schools are good at different things."

Two people will be appointed to help secondary schools raise standards, one employed by Education Bradford and one by the secondary heads' association.

The Education Bradford post will be advertised tomorrow but the head teachers' post could be months away.

Mr Patterson said the dissatisfaction displayed in today's survey led to the setting up of the new strategy. "At the time the survey was carried out there was a degree of concern but Education Bradford has worked with heads over the last few months and it has been listening."

Around 63 per cent of the district's heads completed the survey in November, and many praised the work being done by Education Bradford - six of the eight services it provides got positive results.

Mark Pattison, Education Bradford's managing director, said: "The survey did not cover many of the key areas in our contract. No questions were asked about school improvement, support for teaching and learning, support for leadership and management, support for literacy and numeracy, support for schools causing concern, the implementation of Education Development Plan or the Behaviour Support Plan.

"These areas are at the heart of the work of Education Bradford and the Council's corporate plan."

Pauline Anderson, head of Haworth Primary School and chairman of the Bradford Primary Head Teachers' Association Executive, described the report as 'pre-election activity', adding: "I have seen big improvements since I have been in Bradford. There has been lots and lots of progress."

But Keith Fair, headteacher of Haycliffe Special School in Great Horton and chairman of the Bradford Special Schools Head Teachers' group, said: "A lot of people feel they may not have the support mechanisms they once had, but Education Bradford keep telling us it will improve. I have seen a definite improvement in the last 12 months."

Councillor David Ward (Idle, Lib Dem), the Council's portfolio holder for education, said: "The true picture is reflected in the form of results, and we know that results are going up."

Councillor Phillip Thornton, Labour's education spokesman and the man who commissioned the survey, said: "It is clear that things have gone wrong in the past and we need to take steps now to rectify them."

Education Bradford's Mark Pattison said: "These posts will improve schools because they will harness the strengths that are already there."