MAJOR plans to rebuild and redevelop dozens of Kent's secondary schools have moved a step closer.

County education chiefs have announced the identities of two private consortia that will be responsible for the first phase of a £1.8billion programme for all Kent secondary schools under a Government initiative.

Land SecuritiesTrillium and Northgate Information Solutions are the education authority’s preferred bidders for the first phase of the initiative, which will see KCC team up with the private sector in a £600 million partnership to refurbish or rebuild secondary schools in Gravesham, Swale and Thanet by 2014.

The two consortia were chosen after a stringent selection and scoring process, in line with European Union procurement rules. The scheme is part of the Government's £45billion "Building Schools for The Future" programme, which aims to rebuild every secondary school in the country over the next 15 years.

Cllr Paul Carter, Conservative leader of KCC, said: "This is an exciting time. The need to fundamentally re-design our secondary schools has never been greater. Today’s learners have inherited yesterday’s schools and although the world has changed dramatically, school buildings and organisations have largely stayed the same."

Graham Badman, KCC’s managing director of children, families and education, said: "This is a once in a generation opportunity to invest in innovative solutions for future secondary school provision, challenging perceptions of what schools should offer and where they should be located."

Detailed plans for individual schools in each area will now be drawn up along with a timetable for redevelopment.