Plans to shake-up the top tier of Bradford Council's managers during the crucial stages of the schools reorganisation were today slated.

And it has been revealed that a key senior officer in Bradford's education shake-up is leaving the authority for a plum job in London.

Dr Roger Smith, currently assistant director of education with responsibility for management support services, which includes finances, human resources and buildings services, is expected to leave by Easter.

The 49-year-old denied that his decision to accept promotion had anything to do with the shake-up of top managers announced in November.

Under the new structure, which is still out for consultation, all the directors and assistant directors would be forced to reapply for their own jobs.

"The restructuring has not influenced my decision," said Dr Smith.

"I had been short-listed for this job well before the new management structure was announced."

Dr Smith, who has been at the authority for just over four years, said that he had decided some time ago the move would be after a Head of Schools Reorganisation was appointed.

"It seemed like a logical time to look around and move on and develop my career."

He is stepping up to be the Strategic Director of Education for the inner London borough of Southwark.

Head teachers and teaching unions have criticised plans to shake up Bradford Council's top management structure while a complex education reorganisation is underway.

Many of the present top education officers could find themselves without jobs under a scheme to reduce the number of top officers throughout the Council.

Ian Murch, of Bradford's National Union of Teachers, said the task of reorganising Bradford's entire education system had been set to top education officers two or three years ago - and now another reorganisation of officers had been added to the equation. "It doesn't lead to stability. You can well expect all the other people involved are looking elsewhere because the nature of the restructure means many of them won't have jobs."

Stuart Herdson, national executive member of teaching union the Association of Teacher and Lecturers, said he feared that to superimpose one reorganisation on top of another would lead to a lack of leadership and direction.

Richard Moore, the head teacher of Queensbury Upper and convenor for Bradford Upper School Heads group, said there was fears for continuity and stability.

"We have two concerns. There should be someone with an oversight of education at this important time, which is probably the biggest thing that has ever happened to education in Bradford."

John Patterson, the head of Bingley Grammar School, agreed: "I would be concerned if it resulted in a downgrading in the eyes of the council. It is now more than ever that a strategic overview is needed to push the reorganisation forward."

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