Under the �79m PFI contract Norfolk will have five new primary schools and a service contract spanning 25 years.

The new schools will replace existing ones in Norwich at the Heartsease, Lakenham, Norman, Northfields and Thorpe Hamlet sites.

Improvements will also be made at Taverham High School north of the city.

Schools amalgamated

The county council said the new schools should be open by September 2008 with the Bedfordshire-based Kier Group carrying out construction work and managing the 25-year service contract.

The service contract will include caretaking, cleaning, and grounds and building maintenance.

The 10 primary schools will be amalgamated to form four new purpose-built schools and a new one - Thorpe Hamlet Junior - will be built on an existing site.

All 14 mobile classrooms at Taverham High School will be removed and the school will be enlarged to take year seven pupils aged 12 to 13.

Kier said construction work will take up �41m of the overall contract.

Signing of the contract for the schools was delayed after Jarvis, a previously successful bidder, was axed when it failed to secure a partnership with any local construction firm and tenders had to be sent out again.