THE FUTURE of secondary education in Southampton will be known by Easter next year (2007).

Education bosses at Southampton City Council rubber-stamped their final proposals for a public consultation on how secondary schools will be organised in the city at a packed meeting at the Civic Centre yesterday.

What are the proposals?

Citywide

  • Develop the concept of Southampton Learning Campuses: primaries and secondaries on shared or linked sites with services for children, young people and local communities.

Redbridge Community School

  • Expand Redbridge from its present 900 places to 1,050 places from September 2008.

Millbrook and Oaklands Community schools

  • Close Millbrook from September 2008, transfer its pupils to Oaklands which would be expanded to 900 pupils. Continue to use Millbrook as an annexe until work is completed to expand Oaklands.
  • Close both Millbrook and Oaklands schools and establish a new 900 place school on the Oaklands site from September 2008. Continue to use the Millbrook site while Oaklands building work is completed.
  • Close both Millbrook and Oaklands and establish a new 900-place secondary school on the Millbrook site with effect from September 2008. Use Oaklands as an annexe until Millbrook site is completed.

Bellemoor and Regents Park schools

  • Develop and publish further proposals for consultation. These will include:
  • One new mixed school
  • A new mixed school and a school for girls serving the whole city. The possible use of the St Mark's Junior School and former Civil Service Sports Ground sites will be considered as a long-term alternative location for Regents Park.

Cantell

  • Cantell to continue to admit 230 per year.

Bitterne Park

  • Expand Bitterne Park from the present 1,335 places to 1,500 from September 2008.

Woodlands

  • Woodlands to continue to admit 180 pupils per year.

Grove Park and Woolston

  • Close Grove Park and stop admitting pupils in Year 7 from September 2008.
  • Close both Grove Park and Woolston and open a new mixed school on the Grove Park site, continuing to use Woolston as an annexe until building work is completed.
  • Close both Grove Park and Woolston and open a new mixed school on the Woolston site. Grove Park to be used as an annexe until building work is completed. To undertake further investigations into the viability of moving the new school to an alternative location.

Sholing Technology College

  • Turn into a mixed school and expand from 966 places to 1,050 places.

Chamberlayne Park

  • To continue to admit 180 pupils per year.

St Anne's and St George's

  • No significant changes planned.

Timetable for schools re-organisation in Southampton

Date to be confirmed: Scrutiny consideration of options and consultation arrangements.

Monday, September 4: Formal start of consultation a six week period starting on the first day of term Monday, October 16: Formal closure of initial consultatiuon Monday, October 23 to Friday, October 27: School half term holiday Date to be confirmed: Children's Services and Learning Standing Scrutiny Panel proposals for further statutary consultation.

Monday, November 27: Cabinet member decision to publish statutory notices.

Wednesday, December 20 to Tuesday, January 2 2007: School Christmas holiday.

Wednesday, February 14: Closure of final statutory consultation.

Monday, February 19 to Friday, February 23: School half-term holiday, Preparation of report to school organisation committee.

Mid March: Determination by School Organisation Committee (to be confirmed) Last day of term: Friday, March 30.

Assuming that the school organisation committee makes a determination and there is no appeal to the adjudicator, the future shape of Southampton secondary school provision would have been resolved by Easter 2007.