FOUR city secondary schools look set to lose up to 300 places each as the council tries to cope with falling pupil numbers.

As many as 1,200 secondary places could be cut from city schools by 2007 because forecasts predict a costly surplus. The number has risen sharply since October when the council forecast a surplus of just 700.

The outline proposals suggest Chamberlayne Park should lose 162 places, Woodlands should cut 300, with Weston Park and Millbrook both dropping 150.

City education bosses have launched a huge consultation exercise to try and judge how parents, governors, staff and the community feel about the plans. More than 35,000 letters are to be sent home with children this week, asking parents for their views and there are a series of public meetings planned for later this month.

But rather than mothball the unwanted space - which adds up to the equivalent of a large secondary school or 40 classrooms - the council hopes to find community uses for it.

They claim the plan will do nothing less than "revamp the face of secondary schooling" in Southampton. In line with government thinking about extending the use of secondary schools, bosses hope to see a range of innovative uses for the space.

Anything from a post office, adult learning centres, small business centres and even shops could take over the former classrooms.

Director of lifelong learning Ian Sandbrook is excited about the potential for the space.

He said: "As a council we have a commitment to lifelong learning and this is a great opportunity."

The city hopes the plan will put schools back at the heart of their communities, with people of all ages coming to the site to learn and take advantage of the facilities.

But they aren't expecting the changes to be popular with everyone.

A suggestion that Weston Park Boys could become a mixed school - one of three options on the table - is just one of the proposals likely to upset parents.

Head of education policy Andrew Hind said: "Inevitably this will be controversial. It involves changing things and people are always uneasy about change."

Schools are also to be urged to share expertise, particularly those which have won specialist status, with pupils travelling around the city to access the best facilities for some subjects and after school activities.

THE PROPOSALS IN FULL:

Reducing Chamberlayne Park School from 1,062 to 900 places to create opportunities for expanded community use.

Reducing Woodlands Community School from 1,050 to 750 to create opportunities to extend the well-established community focus of the school.

Three options for Weston Park Boys' School:

1: To become a co-educational school of 750 places, thus removing 150 places

2: To remain a single sex school but to become a "federation" school with The Sholing Technology College and reduce to 750 places

3: To reduce by 150 places to 750 but remain a boys' school and have a limited collaboration with The Sholing Technology College

Millbrook Community School to stay as a centre for 11-16-year-olds but also to work to develop a range of courses with a strong vocational emphasis for 14-19-year-olds.

The school would also reduce from 700 to 550 places.

Other proposals include:

A city-wide project to strengthen links between secondary schools and primaries

A project in up to half of the secondary schools to fast track Key Stage three able pupils in two years onto a wider range of school and college-based courses.

Improved collaboration between schools to share expertise and develop innovative approaches to the curriculum, teaching and learning.

Strengthening out-of-school learning and extra-curricular activities.

All schools to gain specialist status which they can then share with the community and other secondary schools.

All secondary schools to take on a higher community profile.