The city council has applied for government cash to replace three infant and junior schools with one school offering more than 500 places.

It also wants to re-build the Ivy House on Osmaston Road which caters for 75 pupils, all with severe multiple learning difficulties.

Simon Longley, Derby City Council's assistant director of education, said the plans are better for the long term.

He said: "All-through primary schools are better than separate infant and junior schools, and one of them, Normanton Village, is also a very small school with 90 pupils.

"We would be building quite a big primary school, but we would be looking for it to use the existing skills of the staff to actually do a better job, altogether in one new building."