All 17 of its high schools could close and be replaced with a dozen new ones, the city council said.

Private firm Serco, which was brought in to run children's services in Stoke-on-Trent, has put together the plan on behalf of the authority.

The reorganisation proposals costing �200m, which will now go out to consultation, are not expected to lead to redundancies.

But most secondary teachers would have to re-apply for jobs.

The Labour elected mayor, Mark Meredith, said: "It means that every single child in Stoke-on-Trent in the future will get a chance of a first class education."