New specialist classrooms for deaf and hearing-impaired pupils are set to be built at mainstreams schools.

A total of 85 primary and 65 secondary places would be available for children at Swain House Primary, Girlington Primary and Hanson schools.

The units, called Additionally Resourced Centres (ARCs), would better integrate pupils with mainstream schools.

Bradford Council’s executive will be asked to approve the scheme when it meets at City Hall on Tuesday.

The executive is also recommended to authorise steps for the closures of Thorn Park School for the Deaf, in Heaton, and the Designated Specialist Provision (DSP) at Nab Wood School.

Should the provision be given the go-ahead, the ARCs will be up and running in September next year. The centres would be staffed by teachers from Thorn Park and Nab Wood DSP in a newly created Deaf and Hearing Impaired Service.

Meanwhile, specialist early-years provision will be developed at ‘Children’s Centres Plus’ in the Girlington and Swain House catchment areas.

Councillor Michael Kelly, the Council’s executive member for children and young people, said: “These proposals to merge all staff under one service and create the ARCs will drive up standards, quality and the range of education for deaf and hearing-impaired children and young people.

“It will mean we can extend the breadth of the curriculum which will improve their social opportunities and access to extended services.”

Schools, parents, teachers, unions and governors have been consulted over the plans and the majority of respondents were in favour.

Ian Murch, Bradford branch secretary of the NUT, said: “A typical child that attends Thorn Park will benefit from integration, but regrettably there is a small number of pupils who have multi-handicaps that will find it more difficult. What happens to those pupils who need suitable provisions close to their homes?”

A Bradford Council spokesman said areas of concern, including transport, staffing, governance, will be addressed.