PARENTS and pupils in Southampton will soon learn the fate of the city's secondary schools.

After 18 months of public consultations, recommendations, meetings, protests and petitions, nine men will decide next week whether to close four schools, create two new ones and merge three others in a shake-up that will affect thousands of youngsters.

The council's ruling Conservative administration will decide whether to give the controversial plans the go-ahead at Monday's Cabinet meeting.

Open minds Executive member for children's services and learning, Councillor Peter Baillie, said: "It's a decision that we're all taking with the utmost seriousness. I've come to this with an open mind, and all our minds will still be open at the meeting."

Education bosses came up with the proposed shake-up to remove about 1,000 surplus places caused by falling birth rates, reduce the number of single-sex schools and raise educational standards.

Now anxious staff, pupils and parents are waiting to find out what will happen to their schools from next September.

Millbrook Community School, Oaklands Community School, Grove Park Business and Enterprise College and Woolston School Language College have all been recommended for closure.

They will be replaced by two new schools - one on the Oaklands site and the other at Grove Park. Under Government legislation, the Cabinet must also decide which organisation should help set up and run the two new schools.

Businesses and other groups were invited to submit bids earlier this year in an "open competition" - the subject of a six-week consultation.

Professor Roger Brown, vice-chancellor of Southampton Solent University, is leading the Southampton Education Trust, which he says has won the support of the head teachers of Grove Park and Woolston.

He said businesses including Carnival, Associated British Ports and the VT Group, plus three health trusts, were involved in the bid, which is also backed by Southampton's MPs.

"There is a lot of knowledge and experience with the trust," said Professor Brown.

If the proposals are given the go-ahead, all 464 teachers and support staff at the threatened schools will be invited to apply for jobs at the replacement schools.

All of the head teachers will have to reapply for their posts, except Woolston head Joanna Carter who will become head of Woodlands Community School in September.