PLANS for an overhaul in primary education to eliminate more than 3,500 surplus places were revealed yesterday.

As part of a rolling programme to address falling pupil numbers, Sunderland City Council has announced plans to cut primary school places throughout the area.

The cuts will focus on Sunderland north, Sunderland west and Washington, and to comply with Government and Audit Commission targets, 3,572 places will be lost.

Following a cabinet meeting next Wednesday, consultations on a range of options will begin.

These will include the amalgamation of schools, closures, and reducing capacity by using spare accommodation for other purposes.

A key element of the proposals will be to create an "extended school", incorporating community services such as health, sports and the police, in each of the three zones.

Following the initial consultations, involving staff, parents, governors and residents, the options will be refined.

From March 10, further consultations will be carried out before the final recommendations go before the cabinet, in June.

There will be another opportunity for people to make comments before the independent school organisation committee makes its decisions, to be implemented from September next year.

Malcolm Craddock, the council's head of access and special educational needs, said: "This job is about picking up a process that we began a couple of years ago when we removed nearly 2,500 places.

"One of the things in the forefront of our minds is raising achievement."

Mr Craddock said the cuts would result in savings of about £30 per place, which would be redeployed to help fund the overhaul.

He said other cash would come from the sale of land, Government funding, regeneration schemes and private investment.

While admitting that teaching jobs would be lost, he said the council hoped to redeploy staff where possible.

He said the process would continue beyond September next year, focusing on surplus places in other areas.

The primary schools involved in the cuts are, in Sunderland north: Carley Hill, Southwick, Witherwack, English Martyrs RC, St Hilda's RC, Grange Park Primary and Fulwell Junior. In Sunderland west: Havelock, Pallion, Hasting Hill, South Hylton, Thorney Close, Broadway Junior and Grindon Infant. In Washington: Fatfield, Harraton, Rickleton, Lambton, Oxclose, Biddick, Glebe Village, Albany Village, John F Kennedy, Usworth Colliery, Washington Village and Barmston Village.