TWO single-sex Manchester schools could be moved under plans to create new "split-sex" campuses.

North Manchester High School for Girls would be transferred to the North Manchester High School for Boys site, becoming a federated academy - two single-sex schools on one site, sharing dining and sports facilities.

Sixth form teaching could be co-educational.

Similarly, in the south of the city, boys-only Burnage High School would be relocated to share the grounds of Levenshulme High School for Girls.

Federation

Whalley Range High School would remain girls-only, while a new co-educational school would be created on the existing Burnage site.

There would also be a new 750-place co-educational academy at the junction of Rochdale Road and Queens Road, Harpurhey.

There is likely to be a single governing body for each federation, but plans for a sole "executive" head teacher are on hold.

The council had considered scrapping all single-sex state schools but met opposition from parents and school staff, although many pupils were in favour.

Jeff Smith, the council's executive member for education, said: "There are other parts of the country where they have two single-sex schools on a single site, but it is quite unusual.

"We found that there was strong support for retaining some separate provision, but also strong support for co-educational schooling."