It is almost a year since Education Bradford, the private company brought in to help drive up standards, bowed out leaving Bradford Council in full control of its schools for the first time in a decade.

The Council was stripped of direct control of education services in 2001 when the Government ruled it was failing pupils who were delivering some of the poorest results in the country amid other problems such as worryingly high truancy rates. Education Bradford, part of the multi-national Serco group, won a £360 million ten-year contract to turn things around.

When the contract ended last July, six schools were rated as inadequate, 27 rated as outstanding, 102 as good, and 62 as satisfactory.

Latest figures now show that Bradford has five schools rated as inadequate, 29 outstanding, 97 rated as good, and 69 satisfactory.

Although the differences appear small, Ian Murch, Bradford spokesman for the NUT teaching union, said because Ofsted’s standards had become tougher during the last 12 months, the figures showed schools were improving.

“We think the new arrangement with Bradford Council works better,” he said.

“The Council has been working more co-operatively with schools and I think the Council understands we have to have a relationship of being equal with schools.

“Ofsted has also become much tougher in judgements so if figures have stayed broadly similar it is a sign we are doing better.”

Pam Milner, district spokesman for the NASUWT, said it would have been better if the Council had not suffered “savage” cuts.

She said: “Schools are feeling the pinch much more than they did under Education Bradford. Schools have been fabulous to maintain things as they have done with less money. What we have to do for a more accurate picture is to wait another 12 months.”

Stuart Herdson, Bradford branch secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said his members agreed it was easier to deal with one organisation not two.

Councillor Ralph Berry, the executive member for young people and children’s services, in an open letter to the Telegraph & Argus, states the people of Bradford should be proud of the way schools and pupils were responding to the new challenges post Education Bradford. The main opposition groups on the Council acknowledged steps were being made but pointed out significant improvements were needed.

Conservative group education spokesman, Councillor Roger L’Amie, said: “There is still a long way to go. Most worrying is that secondary school results are still, if you count the five GCSEs including English and Maths, below national average and more worrying is that they are below those of Bradford’s statistical neighbours.”

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, leader of the Council’s Liberal Democrat group, said: “Clearly not having a contract means we have got more money to spend on educating children in Bradford.

“But although we have made some really good progress, not all children do as well as we would like and we must continue to keep the focus on raising standards for all children.”