A radical shake-up of Bradford's special schools was unveiled today by education chiefs.

Under the proposals, ten special schools would close down in 2005 or 2006, to be replaced by six new ones in a £35 million scheme using a private finance initiative.

The new schools - three secondary and three primary - would be built alongside existing mainstream schools, to enable them to work together.

Many of the existing special schools have crumbling buildings and, are in many cases, unable to cope with the youngsters' needs.

The special schools planned for closure are: Bolling, Haycliffe, Netherlands Avenue, Lister Lane and Wedgwood in Bradford; Chapel Grange, at Allerton; Greenfield, at Idle; Heaton Royds at Shipley; and Braithwaite and Branshaw schools in Keighley.

In their place, Education Bradford and Bradford Council hope to construct six state-of-the-art special schools. They will announce where they could be sited in the New Year.

A report to the Education Policy Partnership meeting next Wednesday states that there are 904 children on the roll of the district's 12 special schools at the moment.

This includes 45 at Temple Bank, the school for blind youngsters, which has already been proposed for closure; and 93 at Thorn Park, which caters for deaf children.

More consultation is taking place on the future of Thorn Park, which could survive the shake-up.

The new pattern of six secondary and primary schools would have a total of 680 places between them.

The reduction follows analysis of current trends, showing fewer younger children with mild learning disorders starting at special schools. When the older children currently in the system leave school, numbers overall will drop, experts say.

Education Bradford, which has drawn up proposals after talking to the special schools and groups of parents, says the plans are not about cost-cutting or trying to force more children into mainstream schools "by the back door" but aim to improve the quality of education for children in the special school sector.

Hazel Smith, achievement support manager at Education Bradford, said: "This is an exciting opportunity to dramatically improve the achievements and life chances of children in Bradford with the most significant and complex needs, with high quality buildings with which to deliver a high quality curriculum."

She added: "Schools and staff recognise also this as an exciting opportunity to improve provision for pupils."

Hilary Morrison, head teacher at Chapel Grange School, Allerton, and special school representative on the Education Policy Partnership, said head teachers in general were pleased that the sector would receive much-needed investment.

"Many of us are in quite poor buildings and are looking forward to developments, so we have been very supportive of this review. We know the next two or three years aren't going to be easy, there are going to be major major changes. The changes need to be handled in a sensitive way, but ultimately the education offered to children currently in special schools will be enhanced," she said.

Ian Murch, of the Bradford branch of the National Union of Teachers, said: "We will be seeking an undertaking that there will be no compulsory redundancies."