Bradford council has appointed the man expected to lead the district's education system into privatisation.

Sir Anthony Tippet, a former admiral in the Royal Navy and barrister from East Morton, is the chairman of the district's newly-formed interim education policy partnership (EPP).

The 72-year-old already has considerable experience in education. The last chairman of the Funding Agency for Schools, he has also been a governor at three separate schools, including East Morton Primary, and will continue as chairman of the Halifax Learning Zone education action zone.

"As a resident in the district, I am delighted that I have been given this opportunity to contribute towards the development of young people across the district," he says.

The interim EPP includes representatives of a variety of education stakeholders including head teachers, teaching unions, school governors, councillors and the churches. It will play a key role in advising Bradford council on education policy until September.

Then a permanent EPP will take over when a private company begins to deliver the district's education services. But the membership of the EPP is likely to be very similar, and Sir Anthony has said he will continue if asked to do so.

"Bradford is around the bottom area of the education league tables and that isn't satisfactory for a great city like this," he says. "Bradford has great human, financial and cultural resources and we have to pull all these strands together and look ahead. In naval terms we have to set a course and work out how to get there."

The education action zone he currently heads was criticised last year for failing to reach targets set for raising standards in Halifax schools despite the injection of millions of pounds.

Sir Anthony said he was disappointed, but he was confident the zone would succeed over the next two years. He admitted that many Bradford schools shared similar urban problems in trying to raise standards as those in Halifax. The key points were to raise aspirations and provide schools with the support they needed, he said.

His appointment has received cross-party support on the council following an interview with all three party leaders. Executive member for education Cllr David Ward (Lib-Dem) said: "An independent chairman goes a long way to ensuring that the interim EPP will fulfil its role of improving the services offered by the existing LEA.

"Sir Anthony's experience is good for the district, and his local and national knowledge will help to ensure that we produce an education system that is right for the parents and children of the district."