The money will be used to renovate eight schools in the city, construct a new school in north Bristol and rebuild an existing campus.

Bedminster Down, Henbury, Monks Park and Portway schools will be either rebuilt or refurbished by September 2005 using �49m of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) funding.

Hartcliffe School will be redeveloped and Bristol City Council is investing �15m of its own resources in rebuilding Fairfield school, probably on the St Thomas More Roman Catholic School site in Horfield.

With the city committed to rebuilding and refurbishing schools, we can look ahead with great confidence

Marius Frank, headteacher, Bedminster Down School

Peter Hammond, the council's deputy leader with responsibility for education and lifelong learning, said: "These plans have been put together very carefully to make sure pupils will enjoy high quality educational facilities, strategically located to meet the demand for places across the city.

"This is very exciting news for many pupils and families and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to schools."

The council plans to build a new school in the Redland area of north Bristol.

Sited on Redland Playing Fields near Cranbrook Road, the aim is for it to reduce demand for places at oversubscribed Cotham.

Clay Kendall, headteacher at Henleaze Junior School in north Bristol, said: "Our year six pupils can move on to 26 different secondary locations because the nearest schools are so oversubscribed.

"The proposed site can only help to ease this situation."

Simon Jenkin was brought in as a troubleshooter

The �15m required to fund the school will come from a bid to the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).

The next phase of improvements, to Brislington, Speedwell and Whitefield Fishponds schools, will be completed by 2006.

Bristol City Council said this, together with the Hartcliffe campus scheme, will be funded by PFI bids.

'Impact on learning'

Marius Frank, headteacher at Bedminster Down School said: "This is good news for Bedminster Down and good news for Bristol.

"With the city committed to rebuilding and refurbishing eight schools, we can all look ahead with great confidence.

"The impact on learning will be significant."

The funding announcement comes after a troubleshooting education expert was appointed to turn around Bristol's failing schools.

Simon Jenkin began a three-month stint as director of education for the city in March.

A permanent director is still to be appointed.