EDUCATION bosses are planning a major shake-up of Southampton's primary schools that could mean some closures.

They want to cut the high number of spare places due to falling pupil numbers in some of the city's schools.

However, in other parts of the city they must find ways of dealing with too few places to cope with increased demand due to a rising birth rate and more migrant workers, most notably families from Poland, moving into the city.

The man in charge of the review, Councillor Peter Baillie, said the city's primary education sector had suffered for too long from "no clear thinking" at the top.

During the next couple of months he will concentrate his efforts with head teachers, governors and others involved in education on developing a common set of principles, dubbed the primary vision', that will underline the city's future primary education policy.

After this a range of proposals will be drawn up for public consultation.

Cllr Baillie said: "Up until now there has been no clear thinking at all about the direction of primary education. I want to get a clear vision agreed before we embark on outlining proposals for consultation."

The first two primary reviews are expected to focus on the future of schools in the city centre and Freemantle areas including Banister Infant School, Freemantle CE Infant and Nursery School, St John's Infant and Nursery School and St Mark's CE Junior School.

The future of Mason Moor Primary School and Newlands Primary School is also likely to be considered.

Other schools that could form part of the review include Sholing Infant, Sholing Junior, Beechwood Junior, Glenfield Infant, Hightown Primary, Kanes Hill Primary, Thornhill Primary, Weston Park Infant, Weston Park Junior and Weston Shore Infant.

The city council also wants to make sure that the review is complete before 2009 when the council is to get £8m of Government money to spend on its schools.

It is anticipated that a public consultation on the proposals could take place in March. Members of the city's council's Cabinet are expected to agree the first stage of the review at their meeting next Monday.

Earlier this year the council completed a controversial review of secondary places across the city which sparked protests from angry parents.

Under the revamp - also carried out due to surplus pupil numbers - Millbrook Community School, Oaklands Community School, Grove Park Business and Entreprise College and Woolston School Language College will all close next year In their place there will be two replacement 900-pupil schools on the Oaklands and Grove Park sites.