A NEW project is to be set up in Bradford to "recruit and retain outstanding school leaders", according to Council leader David Green.

The Council would be investing £660,000 over three years in the scheme, which would see the University of Bradford develop a course to encourage outstanding leaders to come to work in Bradford and also to develop the skills of potential leaders already working in the district.

Cllr Green said this "would help drive up school standards".

He said: "Clearly, that is one of the things that is a real concern."

Bradford Council is also investing an extra £700,000 in new school places, after the Government drastically cut the amount of money the district was getting for this purpose, from £9.6 million in 2016/17 to a little more than £700,000 for 2017/18.

Cllr Green said: "The miserly allocation of £727,000 to Bradford by the Government is clearly completely inadequate and whilst we don't have huge sums of money to throw at the problem, we felt it was important to at least match that."