One of Britain's biggest local education authorities has made progress but still has "significant weaknesses", schools watchdog Ofsted has said.

Bristol Local Education Authority had previously come in for harsh criticism from Ofsted. While it was now ensuring that children with special educational needs received the help they need, and had made advances in the use of electronic communications, its budget management and control was lacking, inspectors said.

Chief inspector Mike Tomlinson stopped short of recommending that the education service should be privatised, but he said another inspection was needed.