EDUCATION chiefs in York have given the go-ahead for a £2.9 million package to put schools at the "heart of the community".

City of York Council earmarked eight primary schools across the city to have Sure Start Children's Centres by 2008.

Education chief Patrick Scott said the aim was to ensure schools could work in partnership with other organisations to offer nurseries, early-years centres and health facilities for parents.

These will be provided in partnership with other public and private sector organizations, such as the health service, the police and children's services.

It is part of the Government's five-year strategy for children and learners, which includes encouraging schools to stay open for longer hours, setting up breakfast clubs, after-school activities and holiday play schemes to help hardworking parents with childcare.

Currently there are three primary schools involved in the development of the first Integrated Children's Centres for the city - Hob Moor, Westfield and Clifton Green - and one is planned for Tang Hall primary.

York received £1.6 million for building work to be carried out - £200,000 of which is already being spent at Clifton Green.

The remaining £1.4 million will now be split between Tang Hall and five new sites - Haxby Road, St Lawrence's, in Heslington Road, New Earswick, and Carr Infants and Juniors in Acomb - all of which have been selected to cover the whole of the city.

It is a requirement of the scheme that funding be used in those areas of the city experiencing the highest levels of socio-economic disadvantage.

The council has also secured £1.3 million of funding between now and 2008 to help set up and run the centres.

Each centre should cover about 800 children in its area.

At a meeting in the Guildhall on Tuesday night, executive member for children's services, Coun Carol Runciman, and her advisory panel gave the new children's centres the green light.

Coun Runciman said she hoped the Government would be forthcoming with future funding to create more centres in future.

She said: "I am delighted to accept the recommendations of the panel in deciding the sites for the new children's centres. I know that the schools, head teachers, children and their families, as well as the surrounding communities, will all benefit from these developments.

"I am pleased to hear that other schools are already showing an interest and I look forward to receiving further funding from the Government to develop more children's centres in the future."

Updated: 12:18 Wednesday, October 26, 2005