More than 200 parents and pupils demonstrated against the plans

Eight schools - St Peter's, Mitchell, Berry Hill, James Brindley, Edensor, Trentham, Blurton and Brownhills - will merge into five academies.

Longton High School will also be shut in phases with plans for pupils to go to Sandon High School.

The news comes as work started on a similar shake-up across the rest of Staffordshire.

The council had originally planned to shut a total of 17 schools, replacing them with 12 "centres of excellence", including four academies.

On Thursday more than 200 parents and pupils protested against the plans outside a Stoke-on-Trent City Council meeting.

'Passionate debate'

Education chiefs had said they would review each of the schools on an individual basis after protests over the original proposals.

On Friday council chiefs said the site of Longton High School would eventually be used for post-16 education in the south of the city.

Several schools will also be rebuilt and expanded including Thistley Hough, Birches Head, St Thomas More and St Margaret Ward.

Haywood High School, Holden Lane and St Joseph's College will also be refurbished.

The changes are expected to take place between 2009 and 2014.

SCHOOLS TO CLOSE OR MERGE Longton High School St Peter's Mitchell Berry Hill James Brindley Edensor Trentham Blurton Brownhills

Council chiefs said they carried out a total of 90 consultation meetings at schools and published 50,000 leaflets detailing the proposals.

Council education spokesman Ian McLaughlan said: "It's been great to see such a passionate debate going on in the city.

"Everyone wants to achieve the best possible education for our young people. I believe that we've found a fair balance between making real change and addressing people's concerns."

The results come on the same day Staffordshire County Council was holding its first meeting on restructuring its own high schools.

Schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stafford and the Staffordshire Moorlands could be overhauled.