HOLOGRAPHIC teachers, doughnut-shaped buildings, and beanbags in social spaces – these are just some of the ideas for the schools of the future, as dreamt up by the pupils of today.

Seventy Southampton teenagers were given the chance to inspire plans for the overhaul of the city’s education establishments, giving a wish-list of what they want to see in their schools.

The city has been promised about £100m to spend on five secondary schools through the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, with the possibility of extra future funding.

While not all the ideas may become reality, the suggestions are all important in improving schools as places for kids to learn in.

The pupils were asked to look at how leisure, IT, architecture, sustainability and the city’s economy fit into their visions for their schools, during a series of workshops held after they had gained the opinions of other youngsters through assemblies and surveys.

They also got to see what has been achieved at other schools around the country on a visit to the Young Design Centre in London. Each school’s pupil design brief will now be finalised with the help of a school design charity specialising in harnessing youngsters’ ideas.

Karl Limbert, the city council’s BSF and academies director, said it is important children are involved in the project right from the start.

“This will ensure the schools being built meet their expectations as well as ours,” he said.

“The young people have already done some excellent work thinking about the things that could be improved within their schools.”