New building projects costing £2.7m will get under way later this year at three schools in Abingdon.

The biggest scheme, costing £1.5m, will bring Kingfisher special school to one site.

More than £1m will be spent on consolidating the infant and junior schools at Caldecott primary and a further £200,000 is to be spent on completing phase two of the redevelopment at Thameside primary.

John BuckleyThe Kingfisher special school's main building for younger children with learning difficulties is in Radley Road. It is linked with Tesdale School in Blacknall Road for older pupils and two nursery classes in Kennington and Drayton.

Five new classrooms will be built on the Radley road site. There are also plans for a bigger hall and improvements to the administration area and other buildings.

The Tesdale school site will eventually be sold and proceeds will help fund the new developments in Radley Road. Work on the new school starts during the summer holidays and should be completed by September 2002.

Headteacher Ann O'Meara said the development was long overdue. "The present buildings are totally unsuitable for our needs," she said. "We are spread all over the place and it makes it difficult for staff and pupils. Not only that, it costs a lot of money maintaining all the sites."

Similar moves are planned for Caldecott primary school in Caldecott road where the infant and junior schools will merge in an extended junior school. The infants' site will be sold.

A community football pitch will be provided nearby and talks are under way about the possibility of moving the Abingdon Family Centre and community facilities on the site. At present, the centre leases part of the infants' school.

Margaret Gibb, headteacher of the 300-pupil school, said: "It is a very exciting project. By combining the two schools on one site it will give us improved identity. It will lead to more effective use of staff and at the same time will benefit the children."

Thameside Primary in Cotman Close is also undergoing change. Phase one of a £200,000 re-development scheme providing three classrooms, a medical inspection room and an information and communication technology area has just been completed and a further £200,000 is now earmarked for phase two. Work on the second phase will add three classrooms at the junior school.

Headteacher John Buckley said the work would help achieve higher standards.