A new director with privatised Education Bradford has revealed his plans to boost income from services sold to schools across the country.

Steve Humphreys is the new director of the Traded Services division of Education Bradford, which supplies a variety of services schools can buy in, such as IT support and music. He says the authority will be introducing a range of new and more attractive services.

Those currently on offer include IT, personnel advice, outdoor education, peripatetic music teachers, and library support. But Education Bradford will now be adopting a more aggressive approach to win new business from schools as far afield as Liverpool.

"The way education is funded, schools are getting more and more delegated funding that they can manage themselves," Mr Humphreys explained.

"They have a choice whether to buy in services from Education Bradford, another education authority or another supplier. We want to provide better services to schools so that they will choose our service rather than anyone else's.

"If we are successful with schools in Bradford we will offer our services elsewhere - to schools in Leeds, Calderdale and Liverpool."

He said local schools would be offered the opportunity to lease computer equipment and expert support from Education Bradford as a 'managed service' instead of investing in hi-tech equipment which quickly becomes out of date.

Expert consultant advice on training, leadership and management will also be developed as a traded service.

Mr Humphreys is moving to Bradford with his wife and two children who currently attend school in Hampshire. His last job was principal of Dubai Aviation College, set up jointly by Serco and the Dubai government.